


Love of the Game: Freshmen year

by Thatsoundsgay



Series: Love of the Game [1]
Category: Nicole Haught/Waverly Earp - Fandom, Waverly Earp & Nicole Haught - Fandom, Wynonna Earp (TV), wayhaught - Fandom
Genre: F/F, Gus as the head coach? why not!, I really suck at making tags, Nicole is a firefighter in training, Nicole's parents are still cockgoblins, Slow Burn Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught, Softball AU, Someone buy me a beer, Waverly is a jerk at times, Wayhaught - Freeform, What am i thinking starting a 3rd story?, oh hell were in it now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:36:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 70,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27181889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thatsoundsgay/pseuds/Thatsoundsgay
Summary: Nicole and gang are all headed off to college as some of the top recruits from around the country. Star catcher, Nicole Haught has a rough time adjusting to college and her internship as a firefighter. When she meets the freshman pitcher, she develops a small crush until the other woman opens her mouth.ORThe college softball AU none of us wanted.
Relationships: Waverly Earp & Gus McCready, Waverly Earp & Nicole Haught, Waverly Earp & Wynonna Earp, Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught, Wynonna Earp & Nicole Haught
Series: Love of the Game [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1984123
Comments: 318
Kudos: 513





	1. National Signing Day

**Author's Note:**

> Welp, I didn't even start one of the stories I asked you guys about haha. After 10 years of playing softball and 7 years of coaching and then a 10 year break, I grabbed a bat for the first time the other day and this story just had to be written.

It was the day every athlete was waiting for. National signing day and all eyes were on the nation’s top softball prospect. A tall redhead who had been waiting for months to announce the college she would be attending. And boy, did she have the offers rolling in. Not only was she an All-American catcher, she also had academic offers rolling in as well. The pressure was on from six of the nation’s top softball programs. UCLA, LSU, Oklahoma, Washington, Texas, Arizona but the one she really wanted, Northwestern wasn’t at the top of the list for strong softball programs anymore but Nicole knew wherever she signed, other top prospects would be going with her. She knew of three who would be following her, at least.

Nicole sat at the table, all eyes and even more cameras were on her. She leaned over the stack of papers and numerous baseball caps sitting in front of her. She reached out and grabbed the purple Northwestern hat and pulled it snug on top of her head as she smiled wide. Sounds of disbelief filled the room as Nicole leaned down and signed her letter of intent. She glanced at the other 3 girls next to her and nodded. Within seconds, each were wearing Northwestern hats and all 4 had signed their Letters of Intent. 

The four stood arms around each other, taking promotional photos afterwards, big smiles filling the room. The representative from Northwestern walked up, handing each girl a black and purple home jersey. They had informed Northwestern a few days prior to the signing that all 4 would be attending their college in the Spring with full ride scholarships. As the girls slipped on their jerseys, reporters surrounded them, wanting answers for their decision.

“Nicole! Why would you pick Northwestern? Why not UCLA or Arizona?” One reported yelled from the back corner. 

“While UCLA and Arizona are both exceptional schools, Northwestern has an amazing softball program that is currently in a rebuild year and the 4 of us are ready to help rebuild that program into not only one of the top in the nation but THE top in the nation.” Nicole answered respectfully. 

“Rosita, why would the three of you follow Nicole to Northwestern?”

“We are a team. The 4 of us have been together since we were kids. We make each other better. We each play a different position and we each bring something to the table when it comes to being on that field. If you had the chance to play with your three best friends for 4 more years, wouldn’t you take it?” The reported nodded in agreement. 

“Kate, how does it feel to know you’ll be on an uphill battle to get the Northwestern program back to the top?”

“We’ve always been up for the challenge. We are ready to fight for our spots at the school and for the top spot in the nation. UCLA, we’re coming for you!”

“Eliza, how do you feel about all of this?”

“The fact is, the 4 of us have a chemistry that takes years for coaches to build on the field and Northwestern is getting that chemistry already intact.”

“Nicole, what advice do you have for young girls looking to be as good as the 4 of you?”

“Never think that you can’t get better. There is always someone better than you. Someone who can take your place in a heartbeat. And parents, don’t let your kids be uncoachable. If they can’t continue to grow then they will never reach their full potential.”

“Thank you girls, and congratulations to you all.” The girls headed out of the conference room as the reported turned back to the camera. “As you all just witnessed Northwestern just signed the #1 overall recruit in Nicole Haught, the #5 overall recruit in shortstop Rosita Bustillos, the #8 overall recruit in Mary Katherine Horony-Cummings, and the #20 overall recruit in Eliza Shapiro. Four of the top twenty recruits in the country just made the most surprising signing in the last 20 years.”

The girls could overhear the reports and sighed. “God I hate when they call me Mary Katherine. It’s Kate, my damn name is Kate!” Kate fumed as the girls took a seat next to each other on the ground. 

“Do you guys think we made a mistake in signing to Northwestern?” Rosita asked the group.

Nicole sat back and looked at her phone and then smiled, holding it up. “Nope! Two more top prospects just signed. That pitcher out of Canada just signed and that girl Mercedes out of New York just signed.”

“Holy shit! This is huge!” Eliza shouted. “Dude! The nation’s top catcher with the nation’s top pitcher? Can you imagine?”

“Let’s be honest, she only signed with Northwestern because her sister is the starting center fielder.” Kate added as she bit into an apple. 

“Doesn’t matter. These two signings are huge for us. We’re going to be one of the top teams in the country by the time we’re done.” Nicole smiled. 

“Sorry to interrupt girls, we have your full uniforms ready, are you ready for your introduction photos and to meet our star center fielder?”

“Definitely. Let’s go guys.” All of the girls jumped to their feet and ran to get dressed. 

After their photos were done, they headed to the locker room where they were met by an average height brunette. She had her Northwestern jersey on but a leather jacket over the top of it.

“Girls, I would like you to meet our star center fielder, Wynonna Earp. Wynonna, this is Nicole Haught, Kate Cummings, Rosita Bustillos and Eliza Shapiro.”

Wynonna stepped up to Nicole, sizing her up. Nicole was at least a 8 inches taller than Wynonna. “That was a ballsy move signing with us over UCLA, Haughtstuff.”

“It may have been but we went to the school that wanted all 4 of us, not just 3 of less. We’re a team and we want to remain a team. We have each other’s backs and we have yours now too.”

“You better. My baby sister is going to be our starting pitcher and I’ll kill you if you don’t have her back.”

“Wynonna, stop threatening the newbies.” Gus stepped from behind the fiesty woman. 

“Coach McCready, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” Nicole reached out her hand. 

Gus shook her hand firmly. “It’s a pleasure to have all 4 of you as part of our team. We have a lot of work to do, I really hope you 4 are ready for it.”

“Hardwork is what got us here, Ma’am. We’re ready.” Eliza spoke from behind Nicole and Rosita. 

“Better be. We have a lot of work to do to get the four of you ready for this season. Though, Nicole, I heard you four have an internship that you must attend this summer, this won’t get you injured, will it? Can’t have my potential starting players hurt prior to the season.”

“No ma’am. No risk. We will all be fine.”

“Very well. I’ll leave you to get to know each other more.” Gus left the locker room and Wynonna eyed the taller woman again.

“What’s the internship for, Haughtsauce?”

“The four of us are volunteer firefighters.”

“Do the four of you do anything separately?”

“We date separately.” Kate laughed. 

“Well, one of you has to be gay. Which one is it?” Wynonna nudged Nicole.

“Who said it’s just one of us?” Eliza smirked. “What about you, Wynonna?”

“Definitely not on that gay side over here, but never say never. Well, I will see you girls at practice in a few weeks?”

“Yup. Nice to meet you.”   
\----------------------------------------------------------

It was an oddly cool summer morning in Redding, California. The morning air was crisp, chilled with the breeze that was being pushed from the north. Fresh cut grass and wet dirt filled the senses, overtaking anything else that might have been trying to push their way in. The air was filled with a light mist that clung to the skin, leaving a damp residue. Fire red hair blew with the breeze as the girl pulled her beanie tightly down over her ears to fight back the chill. Her leatherman’s jacket pulled tightly around her body while she sat on her skateboard, overlooking a very well kept softball field. 

It was the morning after graduation. The sunrise was just peaking over the softball field that Nicole had played her last game on. Her grandma stood next to her, handing her a sprinkle donut and a cup of coffee.

“How do you feel, sweetie?” The older woman asked her granddaughter. Her hand softly resting on the girl’s shoulders.

“I’m going to miss this place.” She looked up at her grandmother with a tear in her eye and a shake in her voice. “I’m going to miss you and pops. I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done for me these last 6 years.”

“You deserved a chance to be amazing. Your parents weren’t going to give you that so we decided too.”

Nicole sighed. “I wish they would have at least come to my graduation. Why do they hate me so much they refused to come?”

“I do not know, dear. I never raised my daughter to hate her own child for who she is but that is who they are. That is their decision. They will miss out on these great accomplishments. Your grandfather and I love you no matter what, Cole. I hope you know that.”

“I do know that and honestly, you and pops are all I need. You two have been the best parents I could have ever asked for.” Nicole stood up and wrapped her arms around her grandma and kissed her cheek. “Thank you for accepting your lesbian granddaughter.”

“Nicole, I do not care if your gay, straight, bi or a god damn unicorn. You will always be our granddaughter and we will never stop loving you. When your father kicked you out of his house at 12 years old because you started to ‘show signs of being gay’. That was their choice because the second they did that, they disowned us as well. You were a child, Nicole and I’d be damned if I was going to let anything happen to you. You were better off with us anyways, weren’t you?”

“Yes, ma’am, I was. Damn lucky, if you ask me.” Nicole grinned at her grandma. 

“Are you still excited to start your training as a fire fighter this summer?”

Excitement filled Nicole’s eyes as she tried to contain herself. “More than you know! I can’t wait to follow in Pops’ footsteps! I’m thankful for those college classes I was able the take the last 3 years.”

“Not to mention all that time you have been volunteering at the fire house your grandfather is chief of...” Her grandma teased her. Nicole just smiled.

“Yeah, that helped a lot.”

“Are you excited to head to Northwestern for that early orientation in a couple weeks? Get to meet some of your teammates?”

“I am.. I can’t believe I got a full ride, grandma.”

“You worked your butt off for that scholarship, Nicole. Don’t sell yourself short but you must remember that it can be taken away just as easy as it was earned. You keep working hard, do you understand me?” Her grandmother was being stern but Nicole understood why.

“Yes, ma’am. I won’t stop my training and I will make sure to never fall below a B.” Nicole turned her attention back to the sun that was now shining brightly at them. “I’ll never forget where I am came from though, grandma.”

“I surely hope you don’t, child. Come. Let’s get to breakfast with your grandpa. You know how cranky he gets when we’re late.”

“Do you mind if I skate to the diner?”

“No. Go right ahead. We will be waiting for you.” She gave her granddaughter one final hug before getting in the car and driving off. 

Nicole pushed her board to the ground and got a running start before stepping casually onto it and pushing herself along the street. She spotted a nice curb, ollie-ing over it. She smiled as the wind hit her face. Her skinny jeans gave just enough stretch for her to hit 360 flip, landing as smoothly as she had ever. She closed her eyes and held her arms out wide, smiling from ear to ear. In that moment, nothing could take away her happiness. 

\------------------------------------------------------  
Over the next couple of weeks, Nicole and her grandparents had shopped around, getting Nicole anything and everything that she needed for class. They didn’t feel comfortable with her staying on campus, so being the amazing grandparents that they were, they got her an apartment that sat just outside of the north wing of campus, right next to the softball fields and gym. 

As they arrived at the campus, Nicole stepped out of the car and looked around at her new apartment. They had agreed that Nicole would move down early during the summer and get settled in, enjoy a small break between high school, college and her brief time volunteering at the fire station. All three thought it was best that Nicole get a fresh start plus it would allow her to get use to where things were on campus. 

“Alright, sport, here ya go. Let’s go take a look at this new apartment of yours.” Her grandfather patted her on the back and gave her shoulder a small squeeze. 

“Thanks pops! I can’t express how grateful I am that both you and grandma would do this for me.”

“We would do anything for you, kiddo! Now, come on. Let’s go check out your new pad...”

“Oh god, no disrespect pops, please don’t ever say that again.” Nicole cringed at her grandfather’s words which just caused the old man to laugh.

“I mean it with all the disrespect honey, don’t ever say that again.” Her grandmother requested of her husband. 

They walked into the apartment building. Nicole’s apartment was on the ground floor with 2 bedrooms, as that was all that they had left. As they stepped into the apartment, Nicole beamed with pride. Even though it was empty, she could just imagine how it would be set up. The 2nd room would be a guest room/office where she would go to do her homework. The living room with have all her gaming systems and a rack for her numerous skateboards. And the bedroom would be just that. Her bedroom. 

“Well, what do you think, child?”

“Absolutely perfect, ma’am. Thank you so much.” Nicole pulled both of her grandparents into a gentle hug. 

“Enough of this hugging, let’s get this apartment set up. Your grandma and I have a long flight home.”

“What about the truck? Aren’t you driving?”

He handed her the keys. “Not my truck anymore.” Nicole stood in shock as her grandfather had just giving her the keys to his 2016 Nissan Titan. Nicole covered her mouth with her hand, tears streaming down her face. 

“Oh, Henry, it would appear you have broke your granddaughter.” Her grandmother nudged her husband towards the crying girl.

“Ester, I have done no such th...”Upon seeing his granddaughter’s tears, Henry bear hugged the young woman. “Why are you crying, sport?”

“I...I don’t understand why you and grandma would do these things for me.” Nicole sobbed into her grandfather’s shoulder as he gently rubbed her back.

“We do it because we love you, dear and we will always want to be here for you.”

“Your grandfather and I love you so much, Nicole. Please stop thinking you aren’t worthy of our love or anyone else’s.” Ester hugged both her husband and Nicole. Nicole sniffled and pushed them away. 

“Ok, ok. Enough of this. It’s just some dust in my eyes. Let’s unload the truck, grandpa.”

Henry wiped a small tear from his own eye and the three went about bringing in all of the things they had purchased for Nicole. The day had gone better than Nicole had expected and the closer they got to the school year, the more excited Nicole was with their decision of joining Northwestern.


	2. Movin' Along

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly moves in to her dorm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY! Totally didn't expect this story to get the response that it has! Thanks for the love guys! Softball has been a passion of mine for years and I'm happy to put it into a story for a bit. I don't quite know how long this story will be but it will be a 4 part series, I think...I dont know what I'm doing, I just pretend to work here. Anywho, enjoy!

Wynonna stood outside the white washed door, her knuckles knocking softly against the door but soon became louder. “Babygirl! Get your ass up! Let’s go! It’s moving day!” Wynonna was growing impatient with her baby sister. 

Soon the door flung open and the shorter brunette was standing there with a duffle bag flung over her shoulder. Her hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail. She was wearing a powder pink tank top and tight light blue jeans with white converse. “Good God Wynonna, calm down. I’m coming.”

“We were supposed to be on the road two hours ago, Waves! It’s a 27-hour drive and I’m already ready for a damn nap.” Wynonna huffed as she grabbed the duffle bag from her sister’s hand. Waverly turned around and took one last look into her old bedroom. This was the first time she would be leaving home. The first time she would be leaving Purgatory for more than just a weekend. A small hand was felt on her shoulder. 

“It’s time we head out, Waverly. We got a long drive and Wynonna is already getting grumpy.”

“I know, Chrissy. I’m just saying goodbye.”

“It’s not really goodbye though, all of us are at the same college, on the same team. Let’s be honest, you couldn’t get through this year without your favorite 2nd basewoman, now could you?” Chrissy was Wynonna’s age and they had been at Northwestern for 2 years already. They were the oldest two on the Northwestern softball team.

Waverly flung her arm around her friend’s shoulder and pulled her down to press a hard kiss into her left cheek and smiled. “You are right! I wouldn’t be able to do this without you.” The two women grabbed the remaining boxes from Waverly’s room and headed downstairs to the blue and white truck that was waiting for them outside. They set the last two boxes in the back and Wynonna grabbed the tie downs and secured a tarp over the top of the bed to make sure none of Waverly’s items got wet during the storm they would be passing through. With everything secured, the 3 women climbed into the truck and started their long trek to their next adventure. 

Half way into the trip, Waverly started to wonder about her new teammates so she decided to look them up on her phone. Glancing over her shoulder, Chrissy could see Waverly looking at Nicole’s Instagram and Facebook pages. “Haught? Really?”

“I know right?” Waverly laughed, though she couldn’t take her eyes off the redhead who had just posted a photo of herself in a maroon beanie, tight blue tank top that left very little to the imagination. She had a dark gray zip up hoodie, dark blue skinny jeans that showed just how muscular her thighs were. She’s a catcher, of course her thighs would look that good. Waverly thought to herself. Nicole was standing on a skateboard, giving the peace sign with her long red hair flowing to the middle of her back. She’s definitely attractive...and she’ll be mine...my catcher I mean.. Waverly shook the thoughts from her head. “Nonna, how do you feel about the new girls?”

“They have a pretty tight bond...but Haughty was pretty ballsy picking Northwestern. And I threatened her and she didn’t back down.”

“You already threatened the new players? Yeah, that sounds like you.” Chrissy said with a laugh. Wynonna elbowed her in the side. 

“Shut it, Nedley.” Wynonna turned her attention back to the road. “One of you will have to take over soon, I need some sleep.”

“That’s fine. I’ll take over once we stop for gas.” Chrissy volunteered. She glanced back at Waverly’s phone, eyes going wide at the next photo. It’s all 4 of their new teammates in their fire fighting tunics but only the pants, red suspenders and boots. Each of the girls had on dirty white tank tops that had been covered in ash, their bodies were covered in ash and soot. Their bodies glistened with sweat. Nicole’s hair was drenched with sweat and looked as if she had just gotten out of the shower. The caption below: Just got done helping put out the Shasta Valley fire. Best week of our lives! Sleep’s for the weak! Wolf pack baby! “Holy hell! They’re fire fighters? Hot...sweaty...fire fighters?” Chrissy was practically drooling over Rosita. 

“Oh great. I’m sure they’re going to be so full of themselves. Ugh. I can’t wait to have her as my catcher.” Waverly mumbled in frustration. 

“Haughtsauce is pretty fucking hot and one, if not all of them are gay.”

“How the hell do you know that?”

Wynonna casually shrugged. “I asked which one of them was gay. Kate mentioned that all of them might be.”

“Big players, I’m sure.”

“Why are you trying to find something wrong with them? Maybe they are just what they are, Waves. Maybe they are good, hardworking ball players. Don’t sell them short just yet.” Chrissy reminded her best friend. “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover, Waves.”

“I wouldn’t mind getting under the cover of a couple of those girls.” Wynonna wiggled her eyebrows.

“You’re not even gay, Nonna!”

“Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t give it a go for some of that Haughtsauce. Em I right?” Wynonna nudged her elbow into Chrissy’s. Chrissy’s eyebrows raised as she looked at the photo of the 4 women again. 

“Yeah, you right.” Chrissy said with a giggle. 

“Quit objectifying our teammates.” Waverly rolled her eyes at the two women as they pulled into a gas station. Wynonna and Chrissy got out and ran into the store while Waverly continued to look at Nicole’s photos. She noticed that there were only photos of her and an older couple that she would refer to as ‘Grandma and pops’ but there were never photos of her parents or any siblings. Waverly found the photo from 3 years ago that proved Wynonna’s theory. Nicole was definitely gay as she was kissing Kate in this photo with the caption Best girlfriend ever! Happy 2 year anniversary baby! Waverly couldn’t figure out why she was feeling so jealous of the woman that was kissing Nicole. Nicole Haught has a girlfriend. A long term girlfriend, at that. And they couldn’t have been more than 15 in this photo. Waverly flipped to Kate’s Instagram and saw even more photos of Nicole and Kate together from all through the years though the last couple photo Kate had was of them a little over a year ago. They were laying on the beach together. Happy 5 years, sexy! I love you, Nic! Best trip ever! <3 <3 <3 Waverly felt the knot in her stomach again and sighed. 

Wynonna climbed back in the truck and looked at the photo on Waverly’s phone. “Haught damn! I knew she was gay!”

“Wynonna! Stop!”

“Come on, Babygirl! Are you telling me you don’t think they are fucking hot as...”

“Shut up. Please. For the love of God, stop.” Waverly put her headphones in and turned out the two girls for the rest of the trip. Just because she wasn’t listening to the two women she was with, didn’t stop her from stalking the other two women on the team. Wynonna was right. They were all gay. Four lesbians had just joined their team and one of them had Waverly’s attention.

It was a long 27 hours. Waverly was over being in the car with her sister and best friend. She was ready to get settled in and enjoy a couple days off before weight training started for the softball team. They had a team dinner that they were being forced to attend, so that they could get to know each other before spending endless days together. 

Waverly pushed the last two boxes down the hall, of course they were all her books. Wynonna ran up and grabbed one, pulling it up into her arms as her muscles flexed in her cut off Marilyn Mansion t-shirt. She kicked the door open to Waverly’s room and dropped the box in the corner. “You girls ready to go party?”

“Nonna, have you been drinking already?” Waverly smiled and rolled her eyes at her older sister. 

“No. Seriously. There’s a party tonight. You might even get to meet Haughtpants.” Wynonna said with a wink and a nudge of her elbow.

Waverly’s brows dropped and her lips pressed together as she swatted her sister away from her. “I don’t care if she’s there. Plus, I’m not gay, remember!”

“Being straight is a phase, Babygirl.”

“I have much better things to do with my time then go to a frat party with you, Wynonna.”

“Like what? Read a book? Ooooo, sounds sooooo exciting. NOT!” Wynonna started to pout. “Come on, baby sister, it’s your first college party. Please?”

“Ugh, fine. I’ll go but if I get bored I’m leaving.” Waverly said, giving in to Wynonna’s annoying whining. 

“Deal! Now get changed! There’s gonna be some hotties at this party! Can’t wait to get my hands on one or two of them.”

“Oh god. Eww...” Waverly walked into her room and slammed the door.

“Don’t be such a prude, Waves!” Chrissy yelled from the other side of the door. She looked at Wynonna. “We’ve got to break that girl out of her shell! She has no idea what she’s going to miss out on if she keeps that head of hers in a book.”

“Finally! Someone agrees with me!” Wynonna pumped her fist in excitement. 

“Yes, Hell must have froze over.” Chrissy rolled her eyes as Wynonna kept celebrating. 

“Come on, Chris! It’s not that bad to agree with me, is it?”

“Seeing as you usually have absolute shit ideas? Yeah, yeah it is.”

“You wound me, Nedley!” Wynonna’s eyes went wide and she gripped on to Chrissy’s shoulders and started shaking her. “Oh my god!”

“What? What the hell is your issue?” Chrissy tried to pry Wynonna’s hands from her shoulders but couldn’t get enough leverage to pull them off of her. 

“Do you think your dad can get us some info on the new girls, ya know since they’ve been interning with him at the fire station?”

“Ohhh! I never thought of that! I’ll ask him tomorrow at breakfast.”

“Ha! I knew there was a use for that old man!”

“You mean, other than the fact he’s my father? And other than the fact he’s been a father to you and Waves for the last 8 years?”

“Yeah, minor details.” Wynonna waved Chrissy off with a shake of her hand. 

“Speaking of family, who’s going to watch the homestead while you and Waverly are here at school?”

“Our friend Doc is going to watch over it while we are here. He’s a good guy. Promised he wouldn’t burn it down and everything.”

“That’s always what I look for in a house sitter.”

“Right?! Logical!” Wynonna looked towards Waverly’s door. “Hurry up, Earp!” When she got no response Wynonna clinched her jaw. “I swear to God, if you’re in there reading a book, I’m going to burn them all!” As Wynonna headed for the door, it swung open.

“Ok, ok! I’m coming!” Waverly walked out of the bedroom. “Let’s get this over with.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, Waves. just be gay already ugh.
> 
> Next Chapter: The Party and team Dinner.


	3. Skateboards and Attitudes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some backstory on the four friends
> 
> Nicole meets Waverly for the first time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No jokes this time around. This week we lost one of our own, TheGaySmurf. While I did not know Smurf personally, I knew of her writings. Her stories were the reason I wanted to start writing fics again after leaving the world of fics 10 years ago. Smurf was an Earper, an author and from what I can tell just an overall amazing person. It's a shame we will never be able to read another fic from Smurf but I am grateful for this site and the fact we can still see the amazingness that was Smurf. Please pray for Mrs. Smurf and IamPirate and all of Smurfs friends and family in this hard time. Rest easy, Smurf.

Nicole’s eyes fluttered open as she yawned and stretched out her aching body. She rolled over to notice it was 5:00 PM. She had been asleep for a little more than an hour. The day had taken it’s toll on her. She climbed off her couch and noticed her three friends passed out around the floor in her living room. All of them looked like her. Covered in soot, dirt and just overall beat up.

They had been in training today when a house caught fire around the block from them. Nedley had insisted that the girls go with the crew to put the fire out. It ended up being more than any of them had bargained for. 

As they arrived, the structure was already unstable. Throwing on their full tunics, helmets and respirators, the four women headed to the back of the structure and entered. Nicole and Kate were on the hooks while Eliza and Rosita manned the hose. It was supposed to be an easy task. Go in, poke a few holes, put out a few ambers. The usual. That definitely wasn’t what happened. 

As Nicole stabbed the ceiling above them, a pocket of air rushed at them, fire erupting in an intense gust, fully engulfing the four women. Thank god Rosita and Eliza had been paying attention. As soon as the fireball started towards them, they held up the hose, meeting the blaze halfway. Protecting the four as much as they could. Nicole instinctively covered Kate to protect her from the fire, taking a majority of the heat to her own back. 

By the time their training shift was up, they had the house fully contained and walked away unhurt. Nedley had been so apologetic for sending the four women in but he was also impressed with how they handled the entire situation, fully willing to take on the task as if they had been training for that moment their entire lives. The truth was, they had. 

Grandpa Henry had been training the four of girls since they were old enough to hold the axe. Every chance he got, the girls with by his side. Not only had he raised Nicole but the other three had pretty much moved in by the time they had reached their sophomore year and the girls took advantage of the time they got to spend at the fire station. 

Each had a strict training and work out schedule that Grandpa Henry made sure they stuck to. They were to be up at 4:00 AM every day. Rain or shine. Chores were to be done by 5:00 AM and breakfast eaten by 5:30 AM. Once done, they headed to the gym until 7:30 AM when school would start. On days that they had games, they were expected to have homework done before dinner. Bedtime was 11:00 PM at the latest. It was a hard schedule for the girls to follow at first but once they got use to it, their bodies began to crave it. This was honestly the first time any of them had gone off schedule in 3 years.

Nicole stood in the kitchen, thinking about the day’s events and smiled. She was really proud of how they handled everything that got thrown their way today. She knew her grandpa would be proud of them too and she couldn’t wait to tell him all about her day. Before she could get much further into her thoughts, she felt lips against her neck, right behind her ear. She smirked. “What’s on your mind, Haught?” Kate spoke from behind Nicole.

“Just thinking about how great I feel after today, ya know? We really did do a great job out there. Yeah, we had one minor hick up, but it wasn’t a big deal and we handled it.”

“For never having dealt with a structure fire, I agree. I think we handled it well. I think Nedley about shit himself when he thought we had gotten hurt with that fire ball.” Kate laughed softly so she wouldn’t wake up the other two. 

“Oh, he definitely almost had a heart attack. Imagine having to explain to Gus why her four top players were in the ICU burn unit. She would kill him.” Nicole started to laugh at the idea. “I have never been so tired after a day’s work before. It feels really good.”

“You know what would feel even better?” Kate snaked an arm around Nicole’s waist and kissed her neck again. 

“Now, now. You know I don’t do that friends with benefits thing, Katie.”

“Come on, Nic. For old time’s sake. Let me show you how thankful I am for you saving me today.”

Nicole pried Kate’s arm from around her and shook her head. “Sorry babe. We haven’t been together for over a year. Your choice, remember?”

“Yeah, and what if it was the wrong choice?”

“Then it’s one you need to seriously think about. I won’t be a hook up or a one night stand where you get back with your ex for a few minutes. That’s not what I’m about and you know that.”

“You’re right. But promise me you won’t get with anyone else until we figure out us?”

Nicole gave Kate a small kiss on the lips. “I promise. I’ll highly consider your offer, how bout that?”

“That’s all I ask.”

The two separated as they heard a loud yawn coming from the living room. They looked over to see Eliza and Rosita staring at them. “Awe man, are you two getting back together? I really can’t handle if you two break up again.”

“No. We’re not getting back together.” Nicole mumbled. 

“Not yet.” Kate added with a subtle wink towards Nicole. Nicole just rolled her eyes. 

“I thought y’all agreed it would be easier for you to just be friends?” Eliza walked over to the counter. 

“We definitely agreed on that and that is exactly where this relationship is staying.” Nicole raised her eyebrows at Kate. 

“Yes. Yes. I know. Can’t blame a girl for trying.” Kate huffed. 

“I still can’t believe how nice of an apartment grandma and grandpa got for you!” Eliza mentioned as she finally had a chance to look around. 

“They offered for all of us to stay together. Y’all are the ones who didn’t take up the offer.”

“Hey, don’t blame us for actually wanting to live the college experience.” Eliza said back with a snappy tone.

“Speakkkking of college experiences, there’s a frat party tonight. You girls wanna go? It’s in 2 hours over at Wynonna’s dorm.” Rosita replied as she tried to break the tension in the group.

“Eh, you know how much I hate going off schedule, guys. And we have a big day tomorrow. Don’t forget we have our first day of weight training for softball and then that team dinner thing.”

“Haught, don’t be such a damn kill joy. Come out. Have some fun. Plus I heard those two new girls are going to be there.”

“I think I’m going to sit this one out, but you guys let me know how it goes.” Nicole grabbed her soda and flopped down on the couch. Eliza sat down next to her. 

“Come on, Cole. It’s our first party. Come hang out for a little bit and then come home and be an old lady.” Eliza looked at Nicole with big puppy dog eyes. Nicole rolled her eyes and finally nodded. Eliza bounced up and down with excitement. 

“Fine. I’ll give you guys an hour but then I’m coming back here and going to bed.”

“Done. Deal. An hour is all we need!” Kate said as she jumped up and down pulling Nicole off the couch. “Go get a shower. We will head back to our dorm and meet you here in an hour and half. Then we can all walk over together, yeah?”

“I’m bringing my skateboard. I don’t care what any of you say.” Nicole huffed out with frustration. 

“Bring whatever you want. I just can’t wait to check out those hot guys and girls.” Rosita smirked. 

“Get out of here so I can shower.”

“Oh, like the 3 of us haven’t seen you naked before.”

“Some a little more than others.” Rosita winked in Nicole’s direction. 

“Has anyone ever told you, you three are annoying as hell?” Nicole scowled.

“You tell us that every day, Cole.” Eliza kissed Nicole’s cheek and jumped up off the couch. The three girls hugged Nicole good-bye and headed out the door. As much as the three women annoyed Nicole at times, they had been her family since they were young. While she had siblings, she didn’t have contact with them. Eliza and Rosita had become her sisters and Kate was something more, possibly. 

Nicole’s situation with Kate was complicated. They had dated since they were 12. They broke up just before Nicole’s 17th birthday. The day before, actually. Kate didn’t want to be tied down to anyone when heading into college. At least that’s what Kate had thought at first but soon after she regretted breaking up with Nicole. They had tried to get back together but Nicole just couldn’t trust Kate not to break her heart again and she didn’t want to risk losing one of the most important people in her life again. With the help of Rosita and Eliza, they were able to rebuild their friendship and the three had been the closest they had ever been. 

While many thought that Nicole was the reason for their choice of Northwestern, it was actually Eliza who had asked if they could consider the school. Eliza had been in foster care for 3 years prior to Grandpa Henry and Grandma Ester adopting her. In doing so, Henry and Ester decided to start looking in to where Eliza’s family may be. They had tracked them down to Illinois. Eliza had been in contact with them for a few months and decided she wanted to get to know her biological family. In doing so, Nicole was more than willing to give up her dream of playing for Oklahoma to support her sister in her search for her family. It was a no-brainer for the three friends to go with Eliza in hopes of supporting her through this transition. Would anyone other than their group know why they picked Northwestern? Never. This was their secret and one that Nicole was willing to bare the weight of in support of Eliza.

Nicole pulled on her dark green beanie, her red hair flowing out from under it and cascading down her back. She had on a long sleeve black shirt with a “this is how I roll” shirt that had a silhouette skateboard on it with a rainbow background. In addition, she was wearing her favorite skinny jeans. They were black but hugged every single curve and had a rip across the right knee from when she ate shit outside the school a few months ago. Nicole pulled out her rainbow converses and slipped them on. Just as Nicole finished getting dressed, slipping a ball chain necklace around her neck, adjusting the glove pendant that hung from it. It was a present from her grandma when she won her first All-American. Grandma Ester had gotten one for each of the girls that year.

Nicole grabbed her custom Alien Workshop skateboard off her skateboard rack. The deck had a rainbow background that said “Gay Pride” across it with an up close view of the statue of liberty. She had decked it out with matte black trucks and wheels. The door next to her busted open as the three friends stormed in. “Let’s go!” Rosita looked Nicole over. “My god, could you look anymore gay?”

“Probably not.” Nicole said with a beaming smile. “I’m not here to hide who I am. I’m done hiding who I am to make people happy.”

“And you shouldn’t have to hide. None of us should.” Kate hugged Nicole. “Let’s go. Rosie is getting antsy.”

Nicole rolled her eyes and walked out the door of her apartment, heading towards the dorms. As they got closer, Nicole started skating down the street a bit ahead of the group. She slid her back foot around, popping the nose up and creating a tight spin. Eliza clapped at her friend’s tricks. “Lookin good!” She yelled towards Nicole. 

“Watch this one!” Nicole pressed her left foot into the ground three or four times, heading towards a set of stairs. She pushed down and lifted, kick flipping up the stairs and landing at the top. 

“OoooooO! Is all she heard from behind her. She raised her arms above her head, looking back at her friends, not realizing the truck illegally parked in the courtyard. The passenger door opened and Nicole turned just in time to see. She dug the nose of her board into the ground and felt it snag, snapping the board in two as she flew through the air, over the door and hitting the ground on the other side with a thud. 

“What the fuck!” Nicole yelled as she rolled over in pain. She shook her wrist out and sat up, pulling her knees up and resting her arms across them. That’s when she saw her. A beautiful dirty blonde stepped out of the truck, short shorts with a tight tank top that showed off her abs. Nicole’s tongue snaked out over her bottom lip as she admired the woman in front of her. 

“What the hell? You just ran into my door!”

“Excuse me? This isn’t a fucking parking spot!” Nicole said as she got back to her feet. The woman was quite a bit smaller than her. 

“Why don’t you watch where you’re riding next time!”

“Why don’t you park where you’re supposed to next time!” Nicole wasn’t in the mood to back down from the smaller woman but it was in that moment she realized who she was. Waverly Earp. Freshman pitcher. That’s when Nicole saw her board. Tears flooded her eyes. “Fuck. My board.” She knelt down and picked up the two pieces and sighed, shaking her head in disbelief. 

Wynonna ran up to the truck. “Shit! Haughtpants! Are you ok? That was an insane flip!”

“Yeah, I’m good.”

“What the shit happened?” Wynonna looked at Waverly. 

“Don’t worry about it, Wynonna. Apparently it was my fault.” Nicole glared at Waverly and rolled her eyes before walking off. 

\--------------------------

Wynonna looked at Waverly. “You almost just killed our star catcher, way to go.”

“That’s Nicole?” Waverly eyeballed the woman that was walking away from her, realizing who she was as soon as the other three joined her side. Kate ran her hands over Nicole’s body. Waverly felt a feeling in the pit of her stomach that she couldn’t explain followed by a feeling of anger.

“She shouldn’t have been skateboarding up here anyways! Who the hell skateboards anymore?”

“Who pissed in your cheerios?

“No one. I’m just tired of hot shots thinking they can do whatever they want.” Waverly growled as she watched the interaction of the four women in front of her.

“Well, whatever you got going on, you better get right the hell over it because I hate to break it to you, she’s your catcher for the year.”

“She’s what?!?”

“Coach hasn’t told you yet? Yeah, she brought you two in because she wants a freshman duo to grow together and she thinks you two are the ones to do just that.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me?”

“‘fraid not, Babygirl. Now come on, let’s go have some fun. Go introduce yourself to our new teammates. Get to know them.”

“Great.” Waverly mumbled to herself, not wanting to deal with the four. She followed Wynonna up to the group but stayed behind Wynonna. 

“Hey Haughty, Shampoo, Burrito and Cum...wait is that really your last name?” Wynonna laughed as the four stood there staring at the older woman. “Look. I want to introduce you guys to my baby sister and star pitcher. Waverly.” Waverly stepped out from behind Wynonna and fake smiled at the four. “Babygirl, this is Nicole our catcher, Eliza our 3rd baseman, Rosita our shortstop and Kate as you know, our 1st baseman.

“Aye, we’ve met.” Nicole rolled her eyes as she pulled her shirt off and then removed her undershirt, revealing her black Nike sports bra. 

“What are you doing?” Waverly wanted to divert her eyes but she couldn’t help but stare for a few seconds. Nicole’s body was a sight to be seen. She had a 6 pack, no, an 8 pack. How is that even possible? Waverly asked herself. The four women smiled as her staring didn’t go unnoticed. 

“Seeing as I have blood and mud all over my undershirt, I can’t go wearing that into the party.” Nicole turned her back to Wynonna and Waverly, revealing a massive fire tattoo on Nicole’s right shoulder blade. A realistic fire fighter, shoulders and head. The man was wearing a helmet with an emblem on the helmet that read “Shasta Valley Fire Dept.”. Flames reflected in the visor of the helmet but also showed a silhouette of four women heading towards a burning building. One with a hose, one with an axe, two with hooks, fire surrounded the entire piece. Under it the words “We are bonded.” It was an extremely realistic.

“Damn Haughtpants, that’s a nice ass tattoo!”

“Thanks. We all have one.” Nicole gestured towards the other three women.

“This bond thing y’all have is kind of gross.”

“Jealous?”

“Who’s jealous?” Chrissy walked up behind the group and threw her arms around Waverly and Wynonna’s shoulders. 

“Your friends here seem to be jealous of the bond the four of us have.” Rosita smiled sweetly at Chrissy, causing a small blush to float across Chrissy’s cheeks. 

“And who might you be?” Chrissy stepped forward to Rosita, her hand held out to the raven haired beauty. 

“I’m Rosita. Friends can me Rosie. You can call me whatever you like.” Rosita flirted. Nicole elbowed her and rolled her eyes. “Ow! Hey! Not all of us are the ladies’ woman you are, Haught.”

“You act like I’m a big player or something.”

“Oh, you’re something alright.” Waverly muttered under her breath. 

“Since she is being rude, this is Chrissy. Our 2nd baseman. Chrissy, that’s Rosita, Nicole Haught, Eliza Shapiro and Kate Cummings.”

“It’s great to finally meet you all! We lost the majority of our team last year. Wynonna and I are the oldest on the team. Juniors.”

“Wait, y’all got no seniors?” Kate asked, puzzled. 

“Nope.”

“What have we gotten ourselves into?” Kate whispered to Nicole, who shoved Kate away.

“You know exactly why we’re here. Keep your head in the game and focus.” Nicole sighed as she looked towards Waverly. She took a couple steps towards the smaller woman. “Look, we got off on the wrong foot. I’m sorry about the truck. Can we start over?” Nicole reached her hand out as a peace offering. “I’m Nicole. Nicole Haught.” She gave Waverly her best smile. A beautiful dimpled smiled that made Waverly feel things she didn’t want to feel. 

Waverly looked at her hand and rolled her eyes. “Whatever.” She stormed off with her arms crossed over her body. 

“Ohhh, you’ve never been given the cold shoulder by a girl before, Haught!” Eliza teased the redhead and slapped her on the shoulder before wrapping her arm around Nicole’s shoulders. 

“Fuck man, what crawled up your sister’s ass and died?” Nicole turned her attention back to Wynonna.

“I have no idea, but you can bet your nice ass we’re gonna find out. Come on, Chris.” The two headed off as Nicole stood in disbelief of what had already transpired. 

“I told you I should have stayed home.” Nicole huffed as she tossed her shirt in the trash. She looked down at her skateboard, heartache filling her face. “Grandma got me this board...”

“Hey, just cuz you can’t ride it doesn’t mean you can’t make something cool out of it.” Kate reminded Nicole as she stared down at the two pieces.

“You have a thing for that pitcher, don’t ya Haught?”

“Well, I did. Until she opened her damn mouth.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Meet the rest of the team, team dinner and first practice.


	4. Make-out Sessions and Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some Bedley time
> 
> Team dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bedley...I mean that's a good name for Rosita and Chrissy right? sure...lol someone give me something better lol.
> 
> Crazy week with all the bad things happening. Hope this takes you away from the craziness that is the elections.

Chrissy sat outside the weight room, stretching out on the long oak bench that sat outside in the hallway. She stretched out and yawned. She watched as Nicole, Eliza and Kate walked passed. Her attention was drawn from the three women when a beautiful dark haired Latina sat down next to her. She had her hair pulled up in a messy bun, in black leggings, teal running shoes and just a black sports bra. 

“Hey sexy.” Rosita’s tone was fun and playful and oh so flirty. “Did ya hear the good news?”

“I did not. Care to enlighten me?” Chrissy wiggled her eyebrows and leaned forward towards Rosita. The night of the party might have been a shit show for everyone else but Rosita and Chrissy had managed to sneak back to Chrissy’s dorm for awhile, getting to know each other a little better. 

Rosita reached out and softly pushed a strand of hair that had found it’s way across Chrissy’s cheek, blocking Rosita’s view of Chrissy’s deep green eyes. Her hand lingered against Chrissy’s skin for a moment before Rosita finally pulled back. “Your father decided that since the four of us are the only women at his station and because we are the hottest things in softball right now, he thought it would be best to ask us to do a calender.”

“Excuse me? He did what?!” Chrissy was seeing red. 

“Calm down there, killer. It’s just a calender.”

“In which you’re going to be posing all...beautiful for other’s to see.”

Rosita leaned forward, her lips ghosting against Chrissy’s. “Don’t worry baby, I’ll give you a private show.”

“Mmm, who said I wanted one?” Chrissy’s tongue slipped through her lips to lick her bottom lip. The tip ever so slightly touched Rosita’s bottom lip, much to Rosita’s pleasure. 

“I see the way you look at me, Nedley. Don’t pretend last night wasn’t one of the best nights of your life.”

“Sorry to break it to you. It definitely wasn’t one of the best night’s of my life.”

“That’s not what you were saying last night.”

Chrissy pushed a finger over Rosita’s lips. “You didn’t let me finish. It was the best night of my life.” Her finger slowly slid down Rosita’s lip, pulling it slight. With her finger out of the way, she pushed her lips forward pulling Rosita into a searing kiss. 

“Mmm, just as good as I remember.”

Chrissy rolled her eyes so hard that you could almost hear them slip into the back of her head. “It’s only been a few hours, Ro.”

“Ro? That’s a new one.”

“Well, it felt a little weird calling you Rosie last night while we were having sex. Which, by the way, Waverly doesn’t know about yet, can we keep this whole thing between us?”

“If that’s what you want, then we should probably stop making out on this bench.” Rosita stated as she leaned back, trying to distance herself from the lips that were calling to her like a siren to a sailor. 

“That’s true.” Chrissy ran a hand through her hair, detangling and resituating her hair as she went. “So, a calender? Just the four of you?”

“Yeah. Chief Nedley is hoping it’ll bring in younger voters. And Captain Dolls is hoping it’ll draw the attention to the next fundraiser to help keep funding our internships and others in the future.” Rosita could see the disappointment in Chrissy’s eyes. “Awe, babe, how ‘bout I sign a copy for ya? Huh?”

“Hm...how ‘bout two copies?” Chrissy stated with a smirk and a wink.

“You can have whatever you want, baby.” Rosita stopped for a second. “Look, I know we said last night that this...” She waved her arm between the two of them. “Was only going to a one and done kind of thing but truth be told, I really like you Chrissy. I enjoyed getting to know you last night. And I’m not talking about the sex, though that was really great too. I don’t do this kind of thing to be honest with you. Relationships, that is but I’d really like to try. If you’ll have me?”

Chrissy tried to read Rosita’s expression for any kind of a lie just to get in her pants again but all she could see was nervousness, worrying and love. “I’d really like that, Rosita. I like you too.”

“Do you think it’ll make things awkward for us? Being on the same team and all?”

“Only time it’ll be awkward is when I’m staring at your ass as I back up throws on 2nd.”

Rosita could see Waverly heading their direction. “Well, this is my queue to take leave. See you at the team dinner?”

“Of course.”

“And then see you tomorrow for dinner, just the two of us?”

“Pick me up at 7?” Chrissy smiled sweetly towards Rosita. 

“You bet.” Rosita jumped up and headed into the weight room and out of sight of Chrissy and Waverly.

“What did she want?” Waverly questioned as she took a seat next to Chrissy.

“Just getting to know her, ya know?”

“Just be careful, Chrissy. We still don’t know if we can trust them.”

“We have to trust them. We’re on the same team.”

“Yeah, I get that but don’t you think it’s weird that they chose Northwestern over Oklahoma, UCLA and LSU?”

“Maybe they just wanted to come here, Waves. Look, I don’t know what your thing is with them, but you need to give them a chance. They’re our teammates after all.” Chrissy put a reassuring hand on Waverly’s shoulder, giving it a small squeeze. 

Waverly let out an airy sigh. “I just wish I knew what their intentions were for coming here. It just seems so weird to me.”

“Ugh, just let it go, Waves. You sound so freaking paranoid right now. Now, come on! I need a spotter.” Chrissy jumped up from the bench and headed into the weight room. Waverly reluctantly followed.  
\---------------------

Waverly stood over Chrissy as she bench pressed the bar up and down, up and down. Waverly’s eyes scanned the gym but quickly stayed on a tall redhead that was hanging upside down from a pull-up bar. Waverly took in the sight before her. The beautiful redhead had her hair pulled up in a messy bun. She had on black leggings, teal shoes and a black sports bra. Her extremely defined abs were fully exposed for the world to see. Nicole had a 25lb flat weight in her arms as they were crossed in front of her body, holding the weight tightly to her chest. Waverly watched as she lifted her body, doing a sit-up. Moving up and down, up and down. Waverly’s mind began to wonder. Wondering what it would feel like to run her hands down those abs. To run her tongue down those abs. She quickly shook the thought from her head.

“I can’t fucking do this.” Waverly quickly ran from the weight room, heading towards the locker room and the showers. There, she stripped off her clothes and jumped into a cold shower. She sighed and pressed her forehead against the cold tiles that made up the wall. She didn’t understand what she was feeling. She didn’t understand the feelings she was having both physically and emotionally when it came to the group of four women, especially Nicole and it frustrated her to no end.  
\-------------------------------------

Nicole, Rosita, Kate and Eliza headed towards the large banquet hall that sat at the end of the west side of campus. Nicole was wearing her usual beaning, a rainbow one this time. Her jeans were black to match her shoes, Her shirt was a nice blue button up, with her sleeves rolled up just above her elbows. Her hair swam down her back with easy. 

Rosita had gone the fancy dress route as she had told Nicole how much she wanted to impress Chrissy. Nicole thought it was cute how worried Rosita was about impressing Chrissy. She had never seen her like that. Rosita was always the confident one in the group but once she got around Chrissy, she became a completely different person and not in a bad way. 

Eliza was laid back and so was her style. She had a Seattle Storm snapback on backwards and was wearing a green tank top and skinny jeans with green high tops. She thought about getting dressed up but that just isn’t who she was and she’d be damned if she was going to hide who she is. At least that is what she told Nicole prior to leaving the dorms.

Kate was Kate. She loved to dress up and boy did she ever. Nicole couldn’t take her eyes off Kate in her sleek gold dress with matching heals. Nicole knew Kate didn’t get dressed up just for the dinner. She knew it was for her too and damn was she having a hard time keeping her hands off her former girlfriend. 

As they walked into the dining hall, Nicole noticed each seat had a name on it and none of the women were seated next to each other. Nicole rolled her eyes when she saw who she was seated next too. She slid into her seat and huffed, crossing her arms. She was seated between Wynonna and Waverly. It was going to be a long dinner. 

Rosita was thrilled when she saw that she was seated next to Chrissy. Eliza was seated next to a redhead. She vaguely remember her as being the transfer from New York. Kate looked at the name tags next to her. Stephanie and Ashton. 

Gus walked into the hall, looking around the table at all the women. Her team was finally complete with the additions she had acquired in the off-season. “Welcome to Wildcats Softball! While we do not have any seniors on our team, other than me..” Gus’ joke caused all the girls to laugh, lightening the mood in the room. “We have a fairly young team. Mostly freshmen but that doesn’t mean anything. You are all strong players and together we can bring home the championship at the end of this, but first we have to find out who our starters are going to be. No spot is promised on this team, do I make myself clear?” The women nodded in agreement. “Let’s go a head and get introductions out of the way, shall we?” Gus pulled out a clipboard. “1st basemen, Kate Cummings and Elle Wargin. 2nd basemen, Chrissy Nedley and Sarah Smith. 3rd basemen, Eliza Shapiro and Erin Anders. Shortstop, Rosita Bustillos and Dom Purtill. Our outfielders are Wynonna Earp, Vel Verser, Mercedes Gardener and Trinity Edwards. Catchers, Nicole Haught and Ashton Gilroy. Last but not least, our pitchers, Waverly Earp and Stephanie Yuile.” The girls murmured between each other, saying hi to each other. “That being said, Waverly and Nicole, you two will be teaming up to compete for our starting pitcher/catcher position against Stephanie and Ashton.”

“Excuse me, coach, but why can’t I be teamed with Ashton?” Waverly interjected. 

“Because Ashton and Stephanie already have chemistry.”

“Coach, I real...”

Gus raised her hand, cutting Waverly off. “This decision is final. You two are going to be spending a lot of time together. Speaking of, I want the two of you to spend some one on one time together away from the team. Same with Ashton and Stephanie. Same with our outfielders and the infielders. You need to bond with each other. You need to trust each other. I don’t care if you like each other away from that field but by god, when you step foot on that field, you better be one with each other. Now, enjoy this dinner, get to know your teammates. You’re in for a long season.”

Wynonna wrapped her arm around Nicole’s shoulder. “Looks like you and Wavsters over here are gonna have to spend some time together, Haughtshot.”

“Yeah, can’t wait.” Nicole mumbled as she slumped down in her chair and pulled her beanie tighter around her head. 

“Oh come on! My baby sister isn’t that bad.” Wynonna looked over at Waverly, who had a scowl on her face. “Hm...alright she might be that bad.”

Nicole glanced over at Waverly. “What do you want to do?”

“I don’t know.”

Nicole sighed but knew she couldn’t keep this anger going. It would do her no good. “Look, we have to do this so why don’t we just go somewhere we are both comfortable with. The batting cages?”

“Yeah...I guess.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Fine.”

“7?”

“Yeah.”

“Great talk.” Nicole rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. Waverly wouldn’t even look at her. If she couldn’t get her to look at her, how the hell would they ever succeed on the field.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Friendships get tested. Waverly's still a bitch.


	5. Striking out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wayhaught Angst
> 
> Wayhaught moment
> 
> Waverly flips out on Chrissy
> 
> 1st practice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's an extra long chapter for y'all. This is double as long as any other chapter i've written yet but it needed to be written so here we are. hope y'all enjoy it.

The air was warm for a fall evening and Nicole took in a deep breath and closed her eyes, taking in the warmth that filled her soul. Everything about this evening reminded her of home and for the first time since getting to college, Nicole was homesick. She missed her grandpa and grandma the most. They were her biggest fans, having never missed a game and now, for the first time in her softball career, they wouldn’t be there. It was all starting to sink in. On top of missing them, Nicole was conflicted about her attraction to Waverly. 

“I don’t know why I’m attracted to her, Liz.”

“I mean she’s pretty to look at, horrible to talk too.” Eliza nudged Nicole’s shoulder as she laughed. 

“I don’t think that’s really who she is, ya know?”

“What makes you so sure?”

“The way everyone talks about her and the way she was in interviews...”

“You googled the girl?”

“Of course I googled her. I wanted to know who the pitcher was going to be this year. But that’s not important. What’s important is, in those interviews she seemed so amazingly sweet and nice. Does she really hate me that much?” Nicole’s face fell at the thought of Waverly hating her.

“I don’t think anyone can ever hate you, Nic. You are the nicest person on this planet. Hell, you gave up your dream for me...”

“Hey, we agreed not to talk about that, right?” Nicole pointed her finger at Eliza’s chest with a stern look on her face but her look softened. “How is that whole thing going anyways?”

“It’s weird, ya know? They’re my family but they’re not my family.” Eliza shifted to stare at Nicole. “You’re my family. Henry and Ester are my family and while I’m grateful to be spending this time with my biological parents, it’s hard to not be mad at them for giving me away. Henry and Ester have given me the best life I ever could have asked for and the best sister I could ever ask for.” Eliza’s eyes shifted to the ground as her hands folded in her lap. “I’m so afraid of losing you, Henry and Ester that I don’t know if I want to continue getting to know them.”

“Liz, look at me.” Eliza slowly made eye contact and Nicole grabbed her by her shoulders. “Listen to me, ok? You will never lose us. Just because you found your original family doesn’t mean we are going to love you any less. You are a part of our family whether you like it or not. You are my sister and you will always be my sister, got it? And if I ever doubt our family again, I’m going to kick your ass.”

“Yeah, I got it.” 

Nicole threw her arm around Eliza’s shoulders, pulling her against her in a side hug. “I’m really happy for you. I’m happy you found them.”

“Thanks Nic. Maybe I shouldn’t give up on them so fast, huh?”

“I think that’s the smartest thing to come out of your mouth today.”

“I have 2 brothers and a sister.”

“No shit?!?”

“Yeah. All older than me.”

“Awe, still the baby no matter what family you’re in huh?” Nicole playfully ruffled Eliza’s hair. 

“Fuck you, Nic.” Eliza shoved Nicole away from her but couldn’t hide her smile. “Back to our original conversation. What are you going to do about Waverly?”

“I have no idea. If her and I are supposed to be this magic duo that turns this program around, we have to get along. We have to work together and she has to trust me.”

“And you have to trust her.”

“I have no reason not to trust her.” Nicole spoke softly and shrugged. “Fuck, I don’t know what to do. Gus is very adamant that her and I are the savor of this team.”

“Because you two are. She’s an amazing pitcher, Nic, you said so yourself. Had she been in the U.S.A, she probably would have been the nation’s top pitching prospect. Look at her stats. And then there’s you! Fucking over 200 home-runs and over 400 RBIs in 4 years. That’s insane in it’s own right. All-American every year. Quit selling yourself short.”

“Oh, you’re one to talk, Shapiro. Shit, I wouldn’t be nearly as good as I am without the 3 of you in that field in front of me. You guys make me better.”

“That’s how it should be, Nic. A team should make each other stronger and I think maybe that’s why everyone hates us. Maybe we need to stop hanging out all the time and start getting to know our teammates?” 

Nicole groaned but nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. We already have a bond, it’s time we built a bond with everyone else. We didn’t really think this whole ‘going to the same school’ thing, did we?”

“I can honestly say I didn’t see this coming but that’s our fault. We alienate people because it works for us to be with each other. Time for a change. Speaking of, aren’t you supposed to be heading to Waverly’s?”

“Yeah.” Nicole sighed heavily and ran her hand through her hair. 

“Don’t give up on her just yet, Nic.”

“I won’t, Liz. There’s something about her. I feel like there is this connection between her and I. I know it sounds weird but it’s true. There’s something there, Liz.”

“If you think there’s something there, then I’m sure there is but remember that girl isn’t gay.”

“I know. All I know is I feel like I need her in my life. Whether its only as a friend, then so be it. I just hope I can get through to her.”

“Can’t find out until you get to her.”

“You’re right. Love you, Liz.” Nicole gave Liz a kiss on the cheek and jumped to her feet. 

“Love you too, Nic.” Nicole headed off and Liz yelled out to her. “Don’t fuck this up, Nic!”

“Gonna try not to!” Nicole yelled over her shoulder as she ran towards Waverly’s dorm room. Nicole shyly knocked on the door. She had never felt like this. She had butterflies in her stomach causing knots that made her feel like she was going to puke. She stuck her hands in her back pockets, rocking back and forth, heal to toe. She was nervous, but why? Why did a woman who hated her make her so damn nervous? Fidgeting a little, Nicole pulled her beanie down around her ears and then ran her hands across the top of it a couple of times. It was something she had done since she was a small child. Before Nicole could get any more nervous, the door was pulled open. Waverly stood in front of her and Nicole’s breath hitched in her chest. She was beautiful. Waverly was wearing an fitted black San Francisco Giants jersey with an all black Giants hat. She was wearing black leggings and black shoes. Her hair was twisted in a tight braid and she had her black Easton bat in hand. 

Waverly noticed Nicole staring and began to blush. “You can stop staring...” Waverly whispered. 

Nicole shook the vision from her head. “I’m sorry...you’re beautiful is all..” Nicole wasn’t good at flirting. Hell, half the time she didn’t even know she was doing it. 

Waverly rolled her eyes. “Let’s get this over with, please?”

Nicole looked down and nodded. “Whatever you want, Earp.” Nicole shook her head in disbelief and headed towards the local arcade. Waverly walked a few steps behind Nicole when Nicole abruptly stopped in her tracks and spun around to Waverly, who bumped into Nicole.

“Wow! What the hell, Haught?”

“No! What the hell with you, Earp! What the hell did I do to cause you to hate me so damn much?” Nicole’s voice was harsh but not mean in anyway.

“I don’t know...it’s how you act, I guess.”

“How I act? You don’t even fucking know me!” Nicole threw her arms in the air to surrender but noticed Waverly flinch at the movement. Nicole quickly put her arms down and stuck her hands in her pockets, letting Waverly know that she was safe. 

“Maybe this was a bad idea...”

“Yeah, maybe but the fact is, we have to do this per Coach. I don’t know about you but I don’t break an order when it’s given. So, you can either keep moping or you can actually do what Gus said and get to know me. Maybe you wouldn’t hate me so damn much if you knew something about me.” Waverly stayed silent and started walking towards the batting cages. “Fine. Don’t talk. I will. My favorite color is blue. I was raised by my grandparents. Softball saved my life more times than I can count. Yes, I’m gay. No, that doesn’t mean I want to sleep with every woman I see.” Nicole stepped into the batting cages, leaning back on her back leg, back elbow up, knuckles lined up. She swung, nailing an extremely inside pitch, sending it sailing. Waverly watched as Nicole kept hitting the balls. “I have an orange long-haired cat named Calamity Jane and a black lab named Valkyrie. If you couldn’t tell, I love history and mythology.” After three more hits, Nicole stepped aside and offered the cage to Waverly. “All yours.”

Waverly stepped into the cage and Nicole could instantly tell that she was tense. Her stance was all wrong and her timing was off. “Damn it!” Waverly groaned. 

“You’re not pushing through the ball.” Nicole reluctantly whispered.

“What?” Waverly spun around and looked at Nicole. Nicole had expected anger but instead she saw softened facial expressions. 

“I said, you’re not pushing through the ball.” Nicole stepped into the cage with Waverly. She stood in front of her and mimicked Waverly’s swing. “You’re distracted. Is everything ok?”

“I have a lot on my mind right now.”

“I can show you how to relax...” Nicole had never intended for her words to actually sound flirty. She was really wanting to help the other girl.

“I’m not...”

“With your swing, I mean...I can show you how to relax enough to clear your mind enough to level off that swing a bit...”

Waverly sighed and finally gave in to the redhead standing in front of her. “Thank you...”

“Of course.” Nicole got in Waverly’s personal space and ran her hands softly down Waverly’s shoulders. Her face was inches away from Waverly’s face. “Close your eyes.” Nicole whispered. Waverly swallowed hard and nodded, gently closing her eyes. Nicole tightened her grip on Waverly’s shoulders. Not enough to hurt her but enough to steady her. “Breathe deep with me.” Nicole took in a deep breath and let it out. Waverly did the same. “No...from here.” Nicole grabbed Waverly’s hand and placed it on Nicole’s abs, allowing Waverly to feel Nicole’s breathing. Nicole smiled when she felt Waverly’s hand softly feel around on her abs. “You feel that? Now..” Nicole grabbed Waverly’s other hand and placed it on Waverly’s abdomin, slightly feeling Waverly’s toned body through her shirt. “You feel how you’re breathing? Deeper, Earp.”

“Mmk.” Was all that Waverly could get out. She took in a deep breath, Nicole feeling the power of the breath push against her hand and she smiled.

“Good. Keep doing that. Follow the sound of my breath.” After a few deep breaths, Nicole spoke again. “Now that you have the breathing down. Focus on your own breath. Deep. In through your nose. Out through your mouth...” Nicole smiled more, thinking of Waverly’s plump lips. “Nothing else matters, just your breath...” After a few minutes, Nicole could feel Waverly’s body release it’s tension. She slowly opened her eyes and saw the relaxed look that sat upon Waverly’s face. Nicole took one more deep breath as she reminded herself not to kiss the woman in front of her. “Slowly open your eyes...” Waverly did as she said. “How do you feel?”

“Relaxed for once. Wow...where did you learn that?” Waverly still hadn’t removed her hand from Nicole’s stomach. She actually had pushed into it even more and Nicole didn’t mind one bit.

“Part of fire fighting. Meditation is pretty big for us to stay calm and have a clear head. If not, we get hurt or we die.” Nicole said with a casual shrug. 

“Definitely wouldn’t want that, I guess.” Waverly hadn’t realized she had closed the distance between their bodies until Nicole leaned a little closer, thinking now would be the time to kiss Waverly as she too was leaning forward as well. Just before their lips met, Waverly shoved Nicole away with a hard push. “I can’t fucking do this.” Pure anger rushed her face as she grabbed her bat and left the cages. Nicole thought about going after her but figured she’d just make things worse, like she always did. She pulled out her phone and slumped onto the bench and opened Discord. 

Haught as balls:  
She definitely hates me :(

Liz-ard:  
What makes you say that?

Cum and get it:  
What do you care if she likes you? She’s a bitch.

Haught as balls:  
Which one of you fuckers keeps changing mind and Kate’s Discord names?

Liz-ard:  
I have no idea what you’re talking about, Haught attack.

Haught as balls:  
I swear to god, I’m going to kick your ass, Liz.

Liz-ard:  
You know you like it.

Rosie the Riveter:  
Seriously? This shit again?

Haught Trott:  
This isn’t any better, Liz...

Rosie the Riveter:  
Cole, are you going to tell us about Waverly or not? Some of us have some important things to be doing...

Haught Buns:  
Oh, we all know WHO you want to be doing, Rosie.

Rosie the Riveter:  
Shut your whore mouth!

Liz-ard:  
Oh shut it, Rose. We all know you’re boning the 2nd baseman. 

Haught Buns:  
:-x

Cum and get it:  
*Popcorn gif*

Rosie the Riveter:  
Jesus, can we get back to Haught and how she keeps getting pitch slapped.

Cum and get it:  
Yeah, you seem to be striking out with the new pitcher, aren’t ya? ;) Why do you even like her? She’s rude as fuck to you all the time.

Haught Shot:  
:) Do you know her name means “meadow of quivering aspens. :)

Liz-ard:  
Oh for fuck’s sake! You like her because her name definition is your favorite tree? Are you serious?

Haught Shot:  
Eh, it doesn’t matter how I feel. She hates me anyways :’(

Rosie the Riveter:  
Quit taking it so personal, Cole. She’s straight and honestly, it’s her loss.

Cum and get it:  
Honey, we all know being straight is just a phase. ;)

Liz-ard:  
What happened today?

Haught Sauce:  
I uh...may have tried to kiss her...but she was totally leaning into it. I thought it’s what she wanted...she freaked out and bolted. Fucked right on up, like usual.

Cum and get it:  
Hey, if she doesn’t want that kiss, I’ll take it ;-P’‘’

Liz-ard:  
Only you could make an emoji look horny, Katie. Put it back in your pants, will ya?

Haught Sauce:  
Either way, I totally fucked up anything useful between her and I. Back to the drawing board. See ya all at practice in the morning?

Liz-ard:  
Get some rest. 1st practice is at 6:00 AM. Gonna feel good getting back on our schedules.

Cum and get it:  
Speak for yourself, Liz. I hated that schedule.

Haught Sauce:  
Better get use to it, cuz it’s here to stay baby! Wooo! Night all.

Cum and get it:  
Night Sexy

Liz-ard:  
Night sis.

Nicole waited at the cages for a few more minutes before heading home for the night. Everything had finally started to seem like they were going to be friends but Nicole just couldn’t keep it in her pants for one damn day.

\-----------------------------

Waverly stood outside the dorm room that she shared with Chrissy. Her keys were in hand, frozen in time as she heard Chrissy giggle from the other side of the door. Waverly’s eyebrows arched in confusion as Chrissy hadn’t mentioned that she was seeing anyone. She pushed her key into the lock and walked into the dorm room, the anger that was on her face was quickly changed to one of confusion and then back to anger as she saw Rosita and Chrissy making out on the couch.

“Seriously? What the hell?”

Chrissy quickly parted from Rosita. “Shit, waves...”

“Don’t Waves me, Chrissy! I’ve literally been confiding in you about them and here you are making out with her?!”

“And this would be my queue to leave. Thanks for the date, Chrissy. See you tomorrow?” Rosita asked Chrissy, completely ignoring Waverly.

“I’ll call you.” Chrissy gave Rosita a quick peck before Rosita grabbed her stuff and walked out of the apartment. 

Waverly was fuming. “You didn’t even have the fucking nerve to tell me, Chrissy?”

“Yeah, maybe because I knew exactly how you were going to react, Waverly!”

“Oh, did you now?”

“Yeah, like a psycho bitch! Whatever is going on between you and Nicole has nothing to do with me and Rosita! I like her! A lot! And yes, I fucked her right here the other night!” Chrissy yelled as she pointed down to the couch. “And over there.” She pointed at the coffee table. 

“It’s about some fucking loyalty, Chrissy!”

“My loyalty is to that fucking team! Just because you can’t pull your head out of your ass long enough to get to know them, that’s not my problem! They’re fucking nice people, Waves! Really nice! And fucking hot! Super fucking hot! Who wouldn’t want to be friends with them?”

“You’re just falling into the hype like everyone else! Maybe pull your head out of THEIR asses and you’d see them for the frauds they are.”

Chrissy pressed her fingers tips into her forehead. “You don’t even see how fucking crazy you’re being right now, Waverly. How fucking paranoid are you about Nicole and for what reason?”

“They haven’t done anything to prove we can trust them!”

“You’ve never given them the chance!”

“I did tonight and Nicole tried to push herself on me.”

“What?”

“Yeah, she tried to kiss me!”

“I can’t even with you right now, Waverly. You’re supposed to be my best friend. You’re supposed to be happy for me and yet here we are...”

“And here we are...”

Chrissy rolled her eyes, grabbed her purse, shoes and keys and stormed out of the dorm room, leaving Waverly to her own thoughts.  
\-----------------------

6AM came all too quickly for Nicole. She had slept like crap, her mind never shutting off from the events that happened the night prior. She had tried to kiss Waverly. She had thought Waverly wanted the kiss but it was apparent that Waverly didn’t. And Nicole felt horrible. She would never push herself on someone like that and yet she had. The touches she thought were wanted turned out to be unwanted.

Nicole made her way out on the field, in a pair of black softball pants, her teal and grey custom Nike cleats that matched Kate, Rosita and Liz’s. She had on a purple Under Armor and her practice jersey over that. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun and she was wearing a purple Under Armor sweatband. She had on her high school catching gear, teal, black and white in color as she wouldn’t be picking up her new gear until next week. She took a knee, adjusting her shin guards, pulling the straps to tighten them in place. 

Ever though she had just got there, Nicole always made it a habit to fully practice in her shin guards at the minimum. It always helped keep her in shape, plus if she never took them off during a game, why would she during practice. Nicole spotted Waverly jogging out on the field and her heart skipped a beat. She looked like an angel. She was in tight black softball pants that showed off every single curve and her a purple practice jersey. She had her glove tucked under her arm as she grabbed a softball and started rubbing it, priming it for pitching. 

“Drool any harder and you’ll get dehydrated, Haught.” Wynonna teased the younger woman.

“I’m not drooling...” Nicole quickly went back to adjusting her gear. 

“Everyone can see that, for some reason, you like my baby sister.”

“She’s a bitch to me, why would you think I have a crush on her?”

“Hey! Just because she’s a jerk at times doesn’t mean you get to call her a bitch to me, got it?”

“Sorry.” Nicole sighed. “I just wish I knew what I did wrong?”

“Who knows? I’ve never seen her act like this before but whatever you did, you better fix it because you two are the only ones who can win us the title this year.”

“Stephanie and Ashton have been here longer than we have.”

“Yeah and they haven’t won us a title yet. Or even got us close. Listen here, Fire Crotch, you and Babygirl are the only shot we have, got it? So fix this shit, will ya?”

Gus jogged out on the field and called all the girls over. “Ok, welcome to the first day of practice. We’re going to break off and get some one on one time in today. Nicole, Waverly, Stephanie and Aston. You 4 break off and start warming up, I’ll be with you girls. Everyone is going to see some live pitches today. Outfield, head off with Curtis and start your warmups in the outfield. Infield, take off with Shorty. And remember, you’re fighting for a spot on this team as of today. There are plenty of other girls who would love to join and play. You all are replaceable. But first, warm up laps. 20 of them for Mercedes being late! Move it!” 

After the 20 laps had finished, Waverly took the mound, while Nicole squatted behind homeplate. Waverly didn’t waste any time in firing off ball after ball after ball at Nicole. She wasn’t trying to be accurate, she was making Nicole work. Waverly was obviously still upset with Nicole about the night before and Nicole was barely keeping up with it. Waverly was throwing hard and angry, meaning there was no telling where her balls were going to go. Nicole was snatching balls out of the sky, digging them out of the dirt, snagging the ones coming straight down the middle but holy hell she had power. Nicole had never caught for someone who could throw as hard as Waverly was. If it weren’t for the fact that Waverly was trying to hurt her, she would have been impressed. After the 20th ball flying hard at Nicole’s face, Gus stopped the two.

“You two! Move it! My office! Now!” Gus stormed off the field and into her office. The two girls followed. “What in the hell is going on with you two?”

“We just don’t mesh, Ma’am.” Nicole piped up, knowing that Waverly wanted out of this partnership.

“I don’t buy that for one damn minute! You both are extremely nice young women and whatever is going on between you two needs to get figured out soon before you lose that starting job to Ashton and Stephanie, do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Both girls answered.

“You two better pull your heads out of your asses because so help me, I will you bench you two for your entire college careers. If I have to remind you one more time to get your shit together, don’t think I won’t pull those scholarships for next year. I will be damned if I have you injure her with how hard you are throwing the ball and I will be damned if you get injured throwing a ball that hard at her. Now, get back out there and act as if you want to be on this damn team.”

“Yes, Ma’am. The two girls left Gus’ office as quickly as they had gone in.  
\---------------------------- 

Waverly watched as Nicole stood by the bench grabbing some water while Waverly waited near the pitcher’s mound. “That fag won’t beat you out for the starting job, don’t worry, Ashton.” 

Nicole obviously could hear the two. She knew Stephanie meant for her to hear. Waverly watched a small tear fall from the corner of Nicole’s eye and she quickly pulled on her helmet to avoid being seen. “Is that what it’s like to be gay?” Waverly wondered to herself. That would be a question that Waverly would keep asking herself for the rest of the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else wanna smack Waverly yet? Raise your hand. *raises hand*
> 
> Fun Fact: I really hate writing Waverly as a bitch at all lol. I struggle really hard with not just giving in and having them make out every chapter for hours on end.
> 
> Next chapter: Wayhaught tries to get their shit together
> 
> Follow me on twitter @theysoundgay or on Curious Cat @ thatsoundsgay


	6. Apologies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole and Waverly finally get along for a second
> 
> Oh, there's a fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this is the 2nd update of the night. It's 4:02 AM but hell, why not keep writing when you can't sleep? Honestly, i should go to bed...or should i? hmmm

Waverly spotted Nicole skateboarding across campus, knowing that she was headed for her Math class, the same one she shared with Waverly. After having heard the way Stephanie and Ashton talked about Nicole, she couldn’t help but want to put her anger aside to get to know her. When Nicole shed the tear to the homophobic name she was called, Waverly realized something. Nicole wasn’t the bad guy here. Nicole was simply human. And with her help, Nicole could get the ultimate revenge, benching those two bitches for the rest of the season. Waverly hurried off to class, taking the first empty seat that she could. It just so happened to be next to a beautiful redhead. 

“Hey, Nicole?” Waverly softly whispered as to not interrupt the professor.

“Huh?” Nicole looked up from her math book, surprise fell upon her gentle features. “Oh, hi.”

“Can I talk to you for a second?”

“I mean, sure?” Nicole looked back down at her book. “Talk away.”

“I was wondering if, uh, you might want to practice this afternoon?”

“We don’t have practice until tomorrow morning.” Nicole stated as she took down notes for class. 

“Uh...yeah, I know. I was hoping we might be able to practice just the two of us.”

“Why now all of a sudden?” Nicole scribbled away in her notebook.

“The truth is, I really don’t want to lose to Stephanie and Ashton. They suck.” Waverly said as she sat a cup of coffee down next to Nicole’s hand. 

“Trying to bribe me into catching for you?” Nicole arched an eyebrow and glanced over at Waverly with a smile on her face. 

“Is it going to work?” Waverly smiled back as she saw that the young woman had the most amazing dimpled smile she had ever seen and it was even better up-close. 

“It’ll take more than just a cup of coffee.” Nicole winked. 

Waverly sighed. “Meet me at the field after class?”

“You betchya.”

“Nicole, one more thing?”

“Yeah?” Nicole turned her attention to Waverly. 

“Can I get a copy of your notes, please?”

Nicole smiled a big smile that went ear to ear. “Whatever you need, Waves.” Waverly smiled away from Nicole, trying to hide the blush that crept across her cheeks at the sound of her nickname falling from Nicole’s lips.   
\---------------------

Waverly sat on the bench, tying to her cleat as a flash of red caught her attention. Nicole was walking up to her, already decked out in full catcher’s gear. Her helmet tucked tightly under her right arm as she pulled a batting glove onto her left hand. 

“What’s that for? Waverly nodded towards the batting glove.

“It’s something I’ve done since I was a kid.”

“Like good luck?”

“More like extra padding.” Nicole laughed. “But yes, it’s my good luck charm, I suppose. What about you? Any good luck charms?”

“Wynonna. She’s my good luck charm.”

“Isn’t she a couple years older than you though?”

“It’s never mattered. As long as I talk to her the night before or the day of my games, I always do fine. The games I don’t talk to her, I eat shit.” Waverly grabbed her glove. “Care to warm up?”

“Of course. No senseless injuries.” The two headed onto the field, Nicole had the ball in glove. She pulled it out, cocked her arm back and tossed it softly to Waverly. With each toss, the two started throwing harder, distancing themselves further apart. “You never told me your favorite color.”

“Yellow.”

“The yellow Chakra is Solar Plexus. When the chakra is blocked, we experience shame, anger, fear, bitterness, resentment and hate. It is often said to be the third eye due to the strong connection with spiritual awakening and enlightenment.” 

Waverly held the ball for a second, in shock of how Nicole even knew all of that. She tossed the ball back to Nicole. “What about blue? You said that was your favorite color, right?”

“It is. Blue Chakra is the Throat Chakra and is associated with healers. When it is blocked, there can be difficulty communicating our thoughts and manipulative in speech. This will often effect the neck and shoulder muscles alone with colds, thyroid and other issues. Blue chakra is calming, pure, healing and soothing.”

Waverly just shook her head, the knowledge coming from the woman in front of her was amazing. “God, that brain of yours is amazing.”

“Thanks, I think?”

“I should be honest with you. Your flirting has made me very uncomfortable.”

“I realized that and I am truly sorry for trying to kiss you. I...There was no excuse for it. It was unwanted and..” Nicole stopped throwing the ball and looked down. “I’m ashamed of myself for trying. I should never have and..Waverly, I promise. It’ll never happen again.” Nicole threw the ball back to her. “I will never flirt with you again. I never want to make you uncomfortable and I am truly sorry for ever putting you in that position. It was wrong of me and I feel absolutely disgusted with myself.”

Waverly watched as Nicole apologized, trying to see if there was any sign of lying on her face or in her words but Waverly could find none. All she saw was honest to god guilt and remorse. 

“Nicole, I accept your apology. Thank you for giving me one. I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect it.”

“I did something wrong. Terribly wrong and you deserve an apology.”

“Why did you try and kiss me?” Waverly started to warm up underhand. Tossing the ball lightly, flicking her wrist. 

“I misread the situation, to be honest. I thought...” Nicole just shook her head. “It doesn’t matter what I thought, Waverly. It was uncalled for. And please know it’ll never happen again. I truly mean that.”

“Oddly, I believe you and I forgive you.”

“T...thank you.” Nicole dropped her glove, seeing smoke billowing from an apartment building just beyond the field. “Shit.” Nicole quickly started popping the straps on her chest protector and dropped her helmet to the ground. She ran to the dugout and grabbed her phone. “Stay here, Waverly. I have to go help.”

“Then I’m going with you.”

“Waverly, I’m trained for this. I can’t risk you getting hurt.”

“And I can’t risk you getting hurt.” Waverly smiled. “We have a starting job to win. Come on.” Waverly and Nicole started running towards the fire. “What are we going to do when we get there?”

“I’m going in. Stay out front and help those who are coming out.” Nicole approached the front door and pulled off her shirt, dipping it in the water on the ground and wrapping it around her face. 

“Please help! My two children are still inside! I couldn’t get to their bedrooms!” A woman yelled from behind them. 

Nicole was already heading inside. Waverly turned to the lady. “Where are their rooms?”

“Down the main hallway. One is on the end to the right. The other is on the end to the left. Please hurry!”

“Nicole!” Waverly ran in after her, wrapping her own shirt around her face. The smoke was thick but Waverly could make out Nicole in front of her. She put her hand on Nicole’s bare shoulder. 

“I told you to wait outside.”

“I know but the kids’ bedrooms are at the end of the hall. I’ll help you.”

“Fine. You take the one on the left. But if it gets too hot, you get out, do you hear me?”

“Yes.” They pushed through the smoke and got to their respective doors. Waverly placed her hand against the door and pushed it open with surprised ease. She looked around the bedroom and spotted the little boy under the bed. “Sweetie. Come on! Come out to me. We’re going to get out of here, ok?” The little boy nodded and gripped Waverly’s outstretched hand. She pulled him into her arms and took the shirt off her face and wrapped it around his. “What’s your name?”

“Leo.”

“That’s a nice name. Mine’s Waverly.” Waverly tried her hardest to keep the young child talking. She pushed through the bedroom and down the hallway, avoiding the fire dripping from the ceiling. The heat was starting to reach her back and the smoke burning her lungs. Her legs were growing weak. Just as she thought she wouldn’t be able to go any further, Waverly pushed out of the house with the little boy in her arms. She was coughing. EMTs rushed to her side, taking the little boy and her to awaiting ambulances. “Where Nicole?!?” Waverly pushed off the mask and started back towards the house before the EMTs grabbed her. “No! Nicole is in there!”

“Ma’am, you can’t go back in there. The building is going to come down.” 

Waverly watched as the flames grew hotter and bigger. “Nicole!” Waverly saw Eliza, Rosita and Kate running up to Chief Nedley. “ELIZA!”

The girls ran to Waverly. “Waverly?”

“Nicole is inside! She’s still inside!” Before Wavelry could say more the women were running back to Nedley. Waverly watched as they adamantly argued with Nedley about going inside. She watched as Nedley told them no. She watched as Eliza punched another firefighter who was trying to stop her from going in the building. She also watched as police arrested a struggling Eliza. It were as if the world was moving in slow motion and Waverly was froze in time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> awe shit...well here we go. Getting to the good stuff.
> 
> Next Chapter: Find out what happens to Nicole. First game.
> 
> Follow me on twitter @theysoundgay for my ridiculous wynonna earp funkos that I make. or on Curious Cat @thatsoundsgay.


	7. Fire and Ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole's POV of the fire  
> Wayhaught has a moment in the hospital

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lack of updates with all 3 of my stories guys, been a bit busy with having to temp close the business I run while trying to convert it to being virtual. It's a pain. and then theres school. lets not talk about school. i'm a failure lol

Nicole stood in the room, a small girl in her arms. She opened the door to only be met with a wall of flames. The little girl clung to Nicole’s neck, sobbing so loud that Nicole couldn’t hear herself think.

“Are we going to die?” The little girl asked gently. 

“No, sweetie. No, we won’t. I promise.” Nicole wrapped her shirt around the small girl’s head and set her down on the bed. Nicole grabbed a small baseball bat from next to the girl’s door and smashed the window, smoke started to billow out of the room but the flames still nipped at the door behind them. Nicole grabbed onto the bars outside the window and tried to push them open but to no avail. They were rusted shut. She picked the little girl up and laid her on the windowsill so that she was getting fresh air of some sort. Nicole looked around the room, trying to find a way out of the inferno they were sitting in the middle of. 

“Nicole...my chest hurts.” The little girl complained. 

“Mine too.” Nicole coughed. She looked at the wall next to the window and kicked hard, her foot going through the drywall. Nicole smiled weakly and kept kicking. Her breath leaving her body only to be filled with smoke. She fell to one knee and sat on her butt, kicking as hard as she could, finally busting through the T-111 siding that made up the outside of the house. Kicking a hole big enough for herself and the little girl, Nicole grabbed her off the windowsill and pushed her out the hole. A hand wrapped around Nicole’s wrist, pulling her to safety just as Nicole’s body had finally had enough. 

“Just can’t keep yourself out of trouble, huh?” Dolls asked, his arms wrapping tightly around Nicole’s waist as he picked her up and carried her towards the awaiting ambulance.

“The girl?” 

“She’s on her way to the hospital.” Dolls walked by Nedley after setting Nicole in the ambulance. “Not many would have had the foresight to kick through the side of the house, sir.”

“It was stupid of her to run in there but you’re right. Not many would have been smart enough in that situation to do that.”

“She’s got a bright future with our squad, Sir.”

“I agree.”

The two men watched as the ambulance pulled away, Kate and Rosita with Nicole. As much as Nicole was fighting having the oxygen mask on, it was the only way she felt she could breath. “Where’s...Waverly?”

“She’s gonna be fine. She made it out with the little boy.”

“Liz?”

“Arrested...”

“What?!?” Nicole shot up on the gurney. 

“Wow, wow, wow. Calm down. She’ll be fine. I called Gus. She’s on her way to go bail her out.”

“She’s gonna kick us all off the team, you know that?” Nicole laid back down, shaking her head in disbelief. 

“Probably but you and Waverly saved two little kids. You’re going to be like living legends for awhile. That’s gotta mean something.”

“I didn’t do it to be a hero or a legend.”

“Of course you didn’t but it doesn’t mean you’re not.” Kate wiped some ash from Nicole’s cheek just as they arrived at the hospital. She was wheeled into the emergency room, being placed next to the beautiful dirty blonde. 

“You could have been killed, you idiot.” Waverly mumbled towards Nicole.

“I’m happy to see you are still alive too, Waves.” Nicole smiled. “You did great in there, by the way.”

“You did too. Is it always that exciting?”

“Yeah, I kind of live for that thrill.” Nicole’s lungs burned and it hurt to breath and talk but she had to take this chance to get to know Waverly. 

“How do your parents feel about you being a fire fighter?”

“Uh...they aren’t in my life.”

“What?”

“I was raised by my grandparents.”

Waverly switched the subject. “How long have you played softball?

“Since I was 5. My dad got me into it but my pops is the one who made me truly fall in love with the game. How bout you?”

“4. My sisters played. Wynonna and Willa. And I wanted to be just like them.”

“I didn’t realize you have another sister.”Nicole messing with the oxygen mask, nervously. 

“Yeah, she’s older than Wynonna but she passed away.”

“Awe, I’m sorry to hear that.”

“No need to apologize. It was a long time ago.”

“Now, when I told ya two to spend time together, this isn’t what I had in mind.” Gus’ voice came from the doorway of the small room the girls were in. 

“I’m sorry, Ma’am. It was my fault. Waverly just did what I asked.” Nicole tried to cover for her teammate. 

“Did she now?” Gus looked towards Waverly who looked away. “I see. Well then, I guess I should be mad but how can I be? You two saved those children. And I couldn’t be prouder.” Gus’ tone became very soft and she smiled. “But don’t go makin’ a habit of this, ya hear? You two take as much time as ya need. Heal up.”

“I’m fine, Coach. I’ll be...” Nicole coughed up some blood and rolled her eyes. “Fine tomorrow.” 

“Ya will no such thing!” Gus yelled at Nicole. “Ya two are to take the next couple days off. Our first game is in 3 weeks. Ya both have time.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Both women answered. Nicole felt horrible that Waverly was laying in the bed across from her. She had never intended for her to get hurt. As Gus left the room, Nicole turned her attention back to Waverly.

“I shouldn’t have gone. I’m sorry you got hurt.” Nicole admitted. “I should have just stayed at the field.”

“How can you be upset? Those kids would have died without you, Nicole.”

“Yes, but it was a foolish move. I could have died in there...” Nicole looked down at her hands that were fidgeting with the edge of her shirt, another thing she did when she was nervous or upset. “You could have died in there. And that WOULD have been my fault. I don’t care if I die in a fire, my biggest fear is losing someone because of my mistake.”  
\---------------

Waverly laid in the hospital bed, staring at the woman across from her. For as many reasons as she wanted to hate Nicole, she always had a way of giving her 10 more reasons to fall for her. Waverly was scared. She was scared of Nicole. She was scared for Nicole because of her job and now she was scared because of what she was feeling for her. Her heart broke as she heard the confession come from Nicole’s lips. 

“Nicole...”

“No, Waverly. It’s ok, really, it is. I know I’ll die in a fire someday. And I accept that. I’d prefer to go out that way then old age or of cancer anyways. And no, I’m not suicidal or anything.” Nicole’s laugh was soft and delicate.

“Then why talk like that? Just because you have the fear of people dying on you doesn’t mean that those in your life aren’t afraid of losing you in a fire, Nicole.”

“The only people who would miss me understand the risk of loving someone who is a firefighter.”

“What about your parents?”

“My parents wished I was dead a long time ago...” Waverly could tell her questions were getting to Nicole as her fidgeting had begun to get worse. Waverly reached out from her bed and gripped Nicole’s hand. 

“You should stop picking at your nails so much, I need those hands.” Waverly didn’t think about the words before they came out of her mouth but she also didn’t care to correct herself. “I don’t know what happened between you and your parents but fuck them. You have people who love you and that’s all that matters but Nicole?”

“Yeah, Waverly?” Nicole had a tear slide down her cheek that she attempted to hide but Waverly just caught sight of it. 

“Please don’t get hurt again. I might not know you all too well, but I don’t like to see you hurt.” Waverly slowly pulled her hand away and took a deep breath as thoughts began to run through her head. Good thoughts about Nicole but then she began to get flooded with images of people in her small hometown finding out about those thoughts and she began to shut down. 

“I can’t promise that, Waverly. Not with my job.”

“I understand. Do you want to get some practice in these next couple days? We don’t have to tell Gus.”

Nicole smiled at Waverly. “Why miss Waverly, are you asking me to break the rules?”

Waverly shyly smiled back and nodded. “Is that something you’ll be ok with?”

“You bet your ass.”

“Good. Now hurry up and stop coughing up blood.”

“Just some charring in my lungs. Nothing that hasn’t happened before.” Nicole coughed a bit more. “Should be right as rain tomorrow.”

“Happens a lot?”

“Only once before. Guess I’ll never learn.” Nicole chuckled with a cough as she laid her head back on the pillow, her eyes slowly drifting shut. 

Waverly couldn’t help but reach over and tuck a small strand of red hair back behind Nicole’s ear. Nicole smiled the sweetest smile at Waverly’s touch and nuzzled into her hand some. Waverly pulled her bottom lip into her mouth, holding it there for a minute as she looked at the other woman, taking in every feature she could while she had the chance. Nicole hand a scar above her right eyebrow and what looked like a scar from a dog bite of some sort above her left. Her eyebrows were red as well but they were a different shade than her hair. They were darker. Almost brown in tone. Her chin had a small scar, Waverly knew that one all too well as she had close to the same one on her chin from sliding head first into a base and her chin connecting with the ground. Even though she was only in her teens, Nicole already had laughter and worry lines. Both drew Waverly closer as she wished to know what Nicole worried about so much. 

This was the first time that she truly had a chance to just look at Nicole. In the past few days she had seen Nicole as her best and then she had spurts of seeing through Nicole’s walls and into Nicole’s soul. She wanted to know all of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, Waves is less of a dick. so thats nice...but how long will that last? >:}
> 
> Next Chapter: 1st game!


	8. Game Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole and Waverly must earn their spots  
> Game day  
> Waverly meets Grandma and Grandpa Haught

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm writing as much as I can as I really wanna get to chapter 10 of this story by the end of today. I'm extremely excited for chapter 10 lmao.

It had been a little over 19 days since Waverly and Nicole had ran into the fire together and they were just a few short hours away from their first college game against #15 Oregon Ducks. Nicole sat nervously in the locker room as Waverly sat down next to her, tying her purple and black cleats. 

“What’s got you so nervous, Cole?” Waverly gently pushed her shoulder into Nicole’s. 

“Gus has announced the starting positions for every position but ours. I’m worried I’m not good enough to be on this team.”

“You listen up, you are the best catcher in, not only the state but the entire country. Anyone would be a damn fool not to have you starting behind the plate. And at least we are in Oregon. You’re grandparents will be here, right?”

“Yeah. I can’t wait for you to meet them...I mean, the team to meet them..you know what I meant.” Nicole stumbled with her words. She had never been like this with a girl before. Not only was she highly attracted to Waverly but she had to do everything in her power not to flirt with her, as she didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. 

“With as much as you four talk about them to all of us, I feel like we know them already.” Waverly squeaked out a laugh that made Nicole’s heart flutter. 

“Come on. we have practice. Maybe Gus will finally tell us who the starters are.” Nicole slipped her practice jersey over her sports bra and began to button up her shirt. Nicole couldn’t help but notice out of the corner of her eye, that Waverly was staring and she looked thirsty. In wanting to give Waverly a proper show, Nicole only button the bottom 3 buttons, stopping mid-stomach. She turned and grabbed her sliding pad, pulling it on and then her cleats, pulling her foot up on to the bench and leaning over slightly, giving Waverly a clear view of what she obviously wanted to see. Nicole leaned her head to one side, flipping her hair over one shoulder, exposing her neck. Waverly’s eyes never left Nicole’s body. 

“Fuck. I’m sorry” Nicole shook her head and stopped what she was doing, turning around, grabbing all of her stuff and dipping into another part of the locker room and quickly buttoning her shirt, tucking it into her black baseball pants and quickly tightening her belt before putting her catcher’s gear on over it. ‘What the fuck are you thinking?’ Nicole yelled at herself while leaning her head against the locker, the cold steel pressing against her skin. ‘That’s flirting you dumb fucking idiot.”

Nicole jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. “Cole, it’s ok.” Waverly spoke ever so softly as if she were trying not to scare Nicole away.

“It’s not ok and I’m a fuck up and I’m so damn sorry, Waverly. I just...you’re just...I...please forgive me?”

“Hey, stop. You’re not a fuck up, ok? It was a mistake and that’s totally fine. I’m not upset. You apologized. It’s ok.” 

“We...we should really get out there...can’t be late.” Nicole turned and all but ran from the locker room.  
\--------------------

Waverly stood in the locker room, listening to Nicole call herself a fuck-up. It was Waverly’s fault. She had been staring while Nicole was getting dressed. She shouldn’t have but she couldn’t help it. Nicole’s body was amazing and looked like it had been sculpted by Michelangelo himself. Every part of her body was perfect and Waverly couldn’t help but daydream about touching her. Everywhere she could get her hands. 

Waverly was pulled from her thoughts as Eliza walked up to her. “You ok?” She asked. 

“Has Nicole always been so hard on herself for messing up?” Waverly’s eyebrows came together as she was very flustered by the situation.

“It’s not really my story to tell but she comes with some baggage that, let’s just say, wasn’t the most encouraging backgrounds.”

“Her parents were that bad?”

“Again not my story to tell but let’s just say, she’s better off with all of us then she ever was with them. Unfortunately, the damage was done. Now, get out there and win that damn starting job.”

Waverly agreed and jogged out onto the field. Soon, her and Nicole were warming up together, joking like they always did before getting into the hard stuff. “And then, the delivery girl stumbled down the stars and landed on a pair of my scissors. And that is the story of how I scissored the delivery girl.” Waverly finished with a hefty laugh. 

Nicole could barely control her own laughter. “Oh. My. God! How did that even happen?”

“I don’t even know.” Waverly continued to laugh as she threw softly under-hand warmups to Nicole. 

“Harder.”

“Huh?” Waverly paused as the word distracted her. 

“You need to start throwing harder, Waves. We’ve been warming up for an hour now.” Nicole suggested as she squatted down and pulled her mask over her face. She held out her glove. “Let’s go.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Waverly smirked and rolled her eyes. She backed up to the normal 60 foot range and began a proper warm up.

“Nice, Waves. Just like that. You’re doing great.” Nicole shouted encouraging words between every pitch. Normally Waverly’s would hate that but from coming from Nicole, she really enjoyed it and it made her want to do better. “Pick it up.” With that ,Waverly started throwing normal pitches. 

Gus approached and watched as the two girls communicated and Waverly started throwing pitches harder and harder. Over the last month she had noticed Waverly’s speed had increased with Nicole as her catcher. Only with Nicole as her catcher. The couple days Nicole was on leave, Ashton was Waverly’s catcher and you could tell the two didn’t have any chemistry. 

“Rise ball, outside corner.” Nicole yelled out. Waverly stood on the mound and nodded. She brought her hands together in front of her and stared down at Nicole’s glove. Her chest rose and fell and she closed her eyes for a half a second. Leaning onto her back leg, Waverly started her motion. Right arm tucked backwards, ball and hand coming from her glove, swinging around as she pushed off the mound. The ball perfectly placed where Nicole had called for it. “Fuck yes! Great pitch, Waverly! You are on fire today!” Nicole praised her pitcher. Nicole made her way out to Waverly, high-fiving her. “You are amazing.”

“You’re framing has helped on a few of those balls.”

“That’s why we’re great together...I mean.” Nicole waved her arm between the two of them. “Pitcher/catcher duos I mean.”

Waverly nodded. “I agree, we are pretty great together.”

Gus watched the two talk and noticed Nicole trying to not make eye contact at all. “You two are looking really sharp right now.”

“Thanks, Coach. I got a pretty good partner right here.” Waverly slapped Nicole on the shoulder with her glove and leaned against Nicole’s arm. 

“Ya still don’t want switch out?”

“Nope. I’m happy with her as my catcher. You were right, Coach.”

“I always am.” Gus smiled. “Everyone in!” Gus yelled around to the women out in the field and the other coaches. Everyone jogged to the pitcher’s mound. “Tomorrow is the big day. As you guys have noticed, we picked up a couple extra players. Every position has two players just remember that. Keep working hard for your spots. Rachel Valdez will be our starting left fielder in place of Trinity following her injury last week. Mercedes, while I know you usually play infield, you will be our starting right fielder. Wynonna, centerfield. Kate, that reach of yours is going to come in handy tomorrow. You’ll take 1st. Chrissy, 2nd base is yours. Eliza, 3rd is yours to lose, understand?”

“Yes, Coach.”

“Rosita, you are the best damn shortstop I have ever seen. Don’t make me regret it.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“That leaves us with Waverly, Stephanie and Ashton and Nicole. Everyone suit up. Batting practice is now. Live pitchers. We’re going to have ourselves a little competition for starting pitcher and catcher for tomorrow. We will base it off hits, foul balls, strikeouts and balls. 10 batters each. Whoever gets the most strikeouts will be starting tomorrow.” Everyone ran off the field to get ready and Nicole pulled Waverly to the side.

“We haven’t worked on signs a lot yet, do you want Gus to call the pitches?”

“That is probably for the best. I know her signs.”

“Ok. You’ve got this, Waves. Focus on me and we will be starting that game tomorrow.” 

“We got this.” They fist bumped and Nicole ran to the plate. She slipped her helmet down over her face, and punched her fist into her glove as she wiggled her butt, getting comfortable. She held her glove up as Ashton came up to bat. 

“Hope you’re ready to sit the bench, dyke.” Ashton whispered to Nicole. Waverly watched as Nicole’s jaw clinched tightly and gave her a puzzling look, which Nicole just shook off.

Waverly’s pitch sailed inside, almost catching Ashton in the chin but Nicole managed to snag it out of the air before it flew past her. Nicole smiled towards Waverly as she threw the ball back. “Bring it down, Waverly!” Nicole shouted out to her. 

Waverly nodded. “Sorry. Had some dirt on my hand.” She started wiping the ball and her hand off on her pants. Waverly looked at Gus who motioned for a fastball inside. Waverly released the pitch, Nicole framing it perfectly. 

“STRIKE!” Curtis yelled from behind the plate. “1-1" Nicole called for the pitch again. Which Waverly gladly did. This time Ashton swung, barely missing the bottom of the ball. “STRIKE!” Gus called for a rise ball, middle. Waverly had so much last minute movement on the ball, Nicole almost didn’t know which way it was going to go. “STRIKE!”. This went on for the rest of that batters. 3 hits were allow, but they were barely. 

Gus looked at Nicole. “You’re batting. Get ready.”

“Yes, Coach.” Nicole jogged to the dugout, Waverly in tow. She started to unclip her chest pad and Waverly knelt down in front of her, starting to undo her shin guards. “You don’t have to do that, Waverly.”

“I know. But you were amazing out there and I want to help you.”

“Well...thank you...” Nicole shivered a little at Waverly’s hands on the inside of her thigh as she unhooked the top strap. 

“You ok?” Waverly pondered in response to the shiver. 

“Uh...yup. Just a cold chill.” Nicole laid out her gear against the fence, neat and orderly. Something she had always done since she was a kid. She grabbed her Easton Artemis bat and ran the barrel around in her hand. “You got this, Haught. Focus.” She placed her forehead against the barrel of the bat and took a deep breath. “Focus.” She breathed out. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at Waverly, who was staring at her. “Something I do before each at bat.”

“You’re the last batter, Cole. If you get a hit, we win this...”

“Where do you want me to hit it?” Nicole’s tone was cocky and arrogant but oddly sweet. 

“Over the fucking fence.” Waverly said as she poked Nicole in the arm.

“Where?”

“Right field.”

“How bout this? If I get this hit over the fence in right field, you come over tonight and watch movies with me, Eliza, Rosita and Kate?” 

“It’ll never happen.”

“So we have a deal?”

“Fine. Deal. But Nonna and Chrissy come too if it happens.”

“The more the merrier.” Nicole shook the stress from her shoulders and closed her eyes once more time. She centered her breathing and headed out of the dugout to the plate. Nicole dug her back foot into the ground, making a nice pivoting spot. She clawed the ground with her front foot and got set. Her back elbow up, front elbow down, weight on her back leg, back semi-straight, knuckles lined up. She was ready. She watched Stephanie’s hand moving inside her glove as Ashton signaled for pitch. She settled and Nicole held up 2 fingers towards the dugout. 

Rosita giggled like a little school girl and wiggled with excitement. “I fucking love when she does this,”

“Does what?” Wynonna and Waverly asked at the same time.

“Calls the pitches. This one is a fastball inside.” Eliza leaned her elbows on her knees, watching as the ball went inside, hitting Nicole square in the back.

“Holy hell, how did she know that?”

“She watches for tells. She sees the field in a way no one does. It’s amazing.” Kate added. 

“So, she knew she was going to get hit?”

“Yup. Called it.” They watched as Nicole held up 3 fingers. “Drop ball, outside corner.”

“Get ready to strike out, dyke.” Ashton teased Nicole. Nicole fidgeted a little.

“That bitch just said something Nicole didn’t like.” Rosita stood up and pressed against the fence. 

Stephanie threw the pitch and Nicole swung, connecting with the upper half of the barrel, the ball flying over the opposite fence in the right field. Nicole flipped her bat and turned to Ashton as she jogged backwards. “Have fun sitting the bench, bitch.” Nicole said before she turned around and ran the bases, getting bombarded by teammates at home plate. The biggest celebration came from Waverly wrapping her arms around Nicole’s neck, pulling her into a tight hug.

“You did it! We’re the starters tomorrow!” Waverly started jumping up and down, her arms pumping into the arm. She high-fived Nicole. 

“And I believe that means you 3 are coming over for movies tonight.” Nicole pointed at Waverly, Wynonna and Chrissy. Rosita smiled at Chrissy and arched an eyebrow. 

“As much fun as that sounds, I have a date. But thank you for the invitation.” Chrissy smiled at Rosita as they made their way back to the dugout. 

“Wyn?” Nicole nodded towards Wynonna. 

“Will there be snacks?”

“Of course.”

“Then I’m in!”

“Great, see you guys at my place.” After Gus officially announced that Nicole and Waverly would be starting in their respective positions, she asked Waverly to stay behind.

“I’ll see you tonight, Cole.”

“You bet you will!” Nicole said as she grabbed her gear and started to jog towards the locker room.

“Yes, coach?”

“Look, I noticed that ya seem to be having some conflicting emotions.” Waverly went to say something but Gus held her hand up. “It’s none of my business, Waverly but what I will tell ya is that whatever is causing this emotional shift is something ya will need to face head on, darlin’. Ya can’t keep running. It will start effecting the game. I know ya don’t wish to talk about it now, I can see it on ya face. So what I will tell ya is that whenever you are ready, my door is always open. Ya can go now.” Waverly only nodded and headed for the locker room.   
\-----------------------  
The night had gone great. Everyone enjoying the movies and snacks that Nicole had provided. Wynonna and Waverly ended up crashing in Nicole’s spare bed while Rosita never even made it to the hotel room. Eliza slept on the futon couch in the living room area with Kate. Nicole had gotten up even earlier than normal and had made everyone a nice light breakfast. Eggs and fruit. She couldn’t help but feel pride in the relationships that were blooming with the rest of the team. 

Standing on the field for the first official game was one of Waverly’s favorite moments. As they stood down first base line, their hands over their hearts, Waverly smiled up at Nicole. The National Anthem started to play and Nicole started to mouth the words. As it ended, they headed into the dugout for their first at bat. Waverly was batting first. Her ability to bunt and her speed were the reason for it and it was soon on display. Nicole watched as Waverly laid down the perfect bunt between the pitcher and 1st base. She took off running, beating out the throw easily. “Hell yes, 3!” Waverly heard as she stood on 1st. Eliza was up next. “Let’s go 13! Get that hit!”

Gus gave the signal for a fake bunt so that Waverly could steal. Waverly inched her way off the base, standing a couple feet from it, on the tips of her toes, ready to take off. As the pitcher pulled back, Waverly took off. The throw was barely late as Waverly slid head first into 2nd base, holding onto the edge of the bag as the tag was applied to her back. “Safe!” The umpire motioned. 

“That’s right! God damn thief right here!” Nicole was hyped as she got on deck to bat clean up as Eliza struck out. Mercedes was up and Nicole took off her shin guards, throwing them back towards the dugout. Nicole was batting clean up. “Let’s go 5! You got this!”

Within a few pitches, Mercedes had struck out. Nicole got to the plate and within seconds, the first pitch was sailing over the back fence and Nicole was met at home plate by Waverly, who fist bumped her and patted her on the back as they walked into the dugout together. “Great hit, Cole!” Waverly quickly helped Nicole get her gear on.

“I could say the same for you. That was an amazing bunt and that steal. Oh my god. It was orgasmic.” Nicole’s words caused both of them to start laughing. 

The first inning didn’t go well for Waverly. Gus was calling the game and the team had gotten 3 runs and 5 hits off Waverly before they made their way to the dugout. Gus went to pull Waverly aside but Nicole stopped her. “Let’s me?”

“Get her head in this game, Nicole.”

Nicole sat down next to Waverly. “Hey. It happens.”

“Not to me.”

“This is completely different game though, Waverly. Look, let me call the game.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Waverly, I need you to trust me. Please?” Waverly sighed and nodded. “Ok. Next inning, I’ll take over. We will work with what signals we’ve got, ok?”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t be hard on yourself. It happens. We’re going to fix it, right? Just you and I out on that field.” Nicole watched as Wynonna got a single. Rosita was up next and she swung and missed. Nicole jumped to the fence and yelled to her. “Eye on the ball, 23! Get it together!” With Nicole’s words, Rosita hit a single as well. Nicole looked back at Waverly, “You’re on deck. You got this, Waves.”

The game quickly turned around when Nicole started to call the game. Minus the first inning, this had shaped up to be Waverly’s best game of her career. She had 13 strikeouts and hadn’t give up another hit. Thanks to another Nicole homerun, they had just beat a nationally ranked team, on their own field. Nicole spotted her grandparents in the stands and waved them to the dugout, where they were met with tight hugs from Nicole, Eliza, Kate and Rosita. 

“You girls played great!”

“Thanks, Pop! Oooh, I have someone I want you two to meet.” Nicole motioned for Waverly, Wynonna and Chrissy to come over. Rosita took Chrissy’s hand.

“Are you ready for this?” Rosita asked and Chrissy nodded. “Grandma Ester and Grandpa Henry, I would like to introduce you to my girlfriend. This is Chrissy Nedley.”

“As in Chief Nedley?” Henry’s eyebrows arched as looked towards Rosita. 

“Yes, sir. He is my father.”

“Well, I hope our granddaughter is treating you right.” Ester smiled as she pulled Chrissy into a hug.

“Very well, sir. She’s very sweet to me.”

“She learned it all from me.” Henry stated proudly. Ester just rolled her eyes and smiled. 

“He’s right, grandma. Grandpa taught us all how to get the girls.” Rosita laughed. 

“And this is Wynonna and Waverly Earp.” Nicole stepped forward with Waverly and Wynonna. 

Ester smiled sweetly at both girls and quickly pulled them into hugs as well. “Welcome to the family, girls. It’s very nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you too, Ma’am.”

“None of that Ma’am shit around here, dear. It’s Ester or Grandma Ester. You decide.”

“Waverly, you pitched an amazing game!” Henry beamed. 

“Only because of Nicole’s calls.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, darlin’. Our Cole didn’t throw the balls, you did. Sounds like you are just as bad she is when it comes to complements.”

“Now, come on. All of you. Dinner is on us tonight.” Henry motioned for the girls to go get changed. “We have a lot to catch up on.” Henry looked between Waverly and Nicole. Nicole just shook her head, no and walked towards the locker room. Waverly hesitated. This was the first time she would see Nicole naked in the team showers as usually they would just head back to their own places to get cleaned up. Waverly stepped into the shower with a towel around her waist. Nicole was in the far corner, completely naked, body covered with soap. Waverly’s breath hitched in her chest as she admired the beautifully toned body in front of her. She quickly diverted her eyes and slipped into the shower furthest away from Nicole. Waverly kept her back to Nicole, worried about flirting with her if she saw Nicole naked. Waverly quickly finished and ran from the shower before Nicole had even noticed she was there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, the sexual tension that Waves is puttin' off. 
> 
> Next chapter: The girls get called away for a forest fire. Ice Queen comes back.
> 
> Also, if you haven't yet, you should read Fire and Glass Tile by morshon. Really amazing story.


	9. Realizing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls come home to an angry Waverly  
> Wynaught bonding  
> Eliza confronts Waverly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In honor of Wynonna Earp's PCAs win tonight, here's another chapter. Let's Go!
> 
> And also in honor of my 7 year anniversary of getting the guts to ask my wife out. Ya wanna talk about a slow burn? Took us a fucking month to admit any kind of feelings. Stupid gaybies that we were lol

The last 3 weeks had gone great. The team was 3-0, having beaten 2 nationally ranked teams in Oregon and Florida State. In celebration of their wins, Waverly, Chrissy and Wynonna decided to go to a local club. 

“How are things going with you and Rosita?” Waverly questioned her best friend. 

“Oh, now you care?”

“I was wrong, Chrissy and I’m sorry. I never should have gotten mad at you for dating Rosita. I guess I was just jealous you didn’t tell me.”

“I was going to tell you, Waves, it wasn’t something I was seeking out. It just happened the night at the party and she’s so amazing.”

“Does she treat you well?” Waverly looked up at her friend, trying to read the situation.

“I think Nicole would kill her if she didn’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“Rose said that Nicole holds all of them to very high standards when they date someone and if they don’t treat that person how Nicole thinks they should be treated, Nicole will have a very lengthy talk with them. She said Nicole is very honest and loyal when it comes to relationships and she expects the same from the other three. Well, at least of Rosita and Eliza. Kate cheated on her, ya know?”

“Wait, what?” Wynonna sat up, finally interested in the conversation.

“Well, I guess, not physically cheated on her. She emotionally cheated and dumped Nicole the day before her 17th birthday.”

“That’s some fucked up shit! I knew I liked Kate!” Wynonna sipped her beer. 

“Wow, but they’re still so close.”

“Yeah, Nicole didn’t want to lose her but she didn’t want to date her anymore either, though Rose says they hook up every once in awhile.”

“Well, that’s none of my business.” Waverly mumbled into her drink, a bit of jealously boiling into her chest. “I am so glad that Gus has given us two days off practice. It’s weird not seeing Nicole but at the same time, I’m happy to be away from the field for awhile.”

Wynonna looked up at bar’s tv screen and noticed a forest fire that had been burning for a couple days. She sipped her beer again and double took, spitting it out all over the bar. “Ewww, Wynonna!” Chrissy yelled as she wiped beer off her face. Wynonna grabbed Chrissy’s arm and pointed at the screen. “Wait...is that?”

“Your girlfriend? Yeah! Why didn’t you tell us they left for that fire?”

“She didn’t tell me...” The 3 women looked at the screen. Nicole, Eliza, Rosita and Kate were all laying on the ground in their uniforms. They had their jackets off, all of them in filthy white tank tops, all of them covered in ash and dirt. They were all asleep on the ground.

“I thought they weren’t going to fire fight until the school year was over?” Waverly was concerned. Her chest rising and falling as she was starting to panic. 

“Just to show how hard the first responders are working, they aren’t even leaving the site. These four women just got off a 24 hour fight. Their captain told us that they have to sleep when they can because the fire has been shifting and putting more in danger. When asked the age of the women, he said they were fresh out of high school and are college students for Northwestern.”

“It appears they have put their college careers on hold to help with this fire, is that right Reed?”

“Yes, Chief Nedley said that he had to call in everyone including his rookie fighters in hopes of getting this fire under control. It is currently 5% contained with 30,000 acres burned.”

“And do we have any word on those two fire fighters who were trapped earlier?”

“Yes, unfortunately they both passed away after wind forced the fire back at them.”

“Let’s pray that all of them come home safe and that they are able to stop of the spread of that fire.”

“Well, looks like your daddy is the one at fault for your girlfriend being taking away so unexpectedly. Looks like our bench is going to have to pick it up.” Wynonna snickered at the thought going through her head. “Ooooo, I wonder if Gus knows? She’s gonna be pissssssed!”

“I’m pissed! What am I going to do without Nicole?”

“You’re going to pitch like you always do, Waves. You don’t need Nicole for that. We don’t need them here right now. They are doing bigger things than softball.”

“Chrissy, that means I’m either sitting the bench or I have Ashton in the squat. What the hell am going to do with that?”

“You call the pitches and you kick ass. Do you understand, Babygirl? You have all of us to back you up. We got this.”

Waverly huffed and kept staring at the screen as they replayed in the interview again. The four women looked so tired. Nicole’s skin sparkled with sweat and dirt. Her skin tone was much darker now that she had spent the last couple days out in the sun. Her hair was in a messy bun that was matted and drenched with sweat, dirt and debris. Waverly’s anxiety started to run wild and she stood up, leaving the club without saying a word to her sister or best friend.   
\-----------

It had been a rough week but Nicole was finally home. The fire was contained enough that Nedley thought it would be ok for the women to head back to their lives. The four women stepped through the gates of campus, heavy bags on their backs. All four smelled heavily of smoke, they were still covered in grime and they looked extremely tired. 

They were met at the gate by Chrissy who hugged Rosita so tightly that Rosita dropped her bag. “I’m so glad you’re ok, Rose.” Chrissy buried her face in Rosita’s shoulder. “I was so worried about all of you.” Chrissy looked up at the four. “I’m happy you’re home.”

“We’re happy to be home.” Nicole gave her a soft smile but the look on her face told her that something was wrong. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing...”

“No, it’s something. You have that look. What’s wrong? How did the game go?”

“Not good at all. We lost. By a lot.”

“Waves pitch?”

“Oh, she pitched and then got benched...she’s really upset. Mainly at you.” Chrissy pointed at Nicole.

“Of course she is.” Nicole slumped her shoulders forward. “Look, I like her but I can’t keep doing this. She’s so damn hot and cold. I really wish she would make up her mind.”

“I don’t think she’s really mad at you.” Wynonna said from behind the group. “Come on, Red. Let’s go have a talk.” Wynonna threw her arm around Nicole’s shoulder, leading her off towards Nicole’s apartment. 

“What do you mean she’s not mad at me?”

“No no, she’s definitely pissed at you for leaving.”

“You are just as confusing as your sister.” Nicole looked towards the ground, fully defeated. They pushed the door to Nicole’s apartment open and Nicole fell face first on the couch. “Why does she hate me so much, Wynonna? What have I done?” Nicole looked up at Wynonna with pleading eyes, just wanting an answer. 

Wynonna sighed and sat down next to Nicole. “I honestly have no idea what’s going through her head right now. I have never seen her like this with anyone. She’s like this little ball of anxiety. I don’t know if it’s the pressure of college that’s getting to her but she’s about to break.”

“I’ve tried to help her. I just keep fucking up and messing it up with her. Did she tell you I flirted with her??”

“You what?”

“Yes. And it was huge mistake. She flipped out on me. And it’s been even weirder ever since. I don’t know what to do to make it better.”

“Well for one, do you like my sister?”

“I do...”

“Well this is a fucking shitshow isn’t it?”

“It is.” Nicole slid off the couch and grabbed two beers from her fridge. She handed one to Wynonna. 

“You’re not old enough to have these, who bought them?”

“My Pops. It’s our tradition to have a beer after getting back from a fight.”

“I love that man!”

“He is pretty amazing. So is grandma.” Nicole smiled, taking a sip of her beer. “What happened at the game?”

“Oh fuck. What didn’t? Ashton and Waverly do not mesh at all. Waverly tried so hard but Ashton was calling an absolute shit game. I think she set Waverly up to make her look bad, stupid cun...”

“Hey! I hate that word.”

“Sorry. Anyways. She got lit up in the game. By the 3rd inning, Gus pulled her and put Stephanie in. The issue was, Stephanie treated the team like shit and none of them played well. We tried to come back and Ashton all of a sudden was calling a great game.”

“Of course she did. I fucking hate them so much.”

“What do they keep saying to you?” Wynonna took a long swig of her beer and looked at Nicole.

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

“It’s something. Enough that you look like you’re going to kill them every day.”

“Homophobic stuff. Nothing I hadn’t heard for the first part of my life.”

“Shitty parents?”

“You could say that...” Nicole stretched out, laying her leg across the coffee table. 

“How bout you? Where’s your parents?”

“Oh, yeah, it’s just Waves and I. Been on our own for a few years now.”

“What?”

“Yeah. Our dad killed our sister Willa and our mom. He tried to kill us but I shot him...”

“The fuck?”

Wynonna pulled up her shirt, showing off a scar on her abdomen. “Yeah, got me across the stomach with a filet knife. Waverly’s got a bullet wound on her chest. I killed him to protect her and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I was 17 at the time. So, I took over caring for Babygirl and family friends helped out along the way when I came to college. Gus has been a huge help. She stepped in to help us pay bills along the way.”

“She seems to care about you two a lot.”

“She does. Best thing to happen to us for sure.”

“My parents kicked me out at 12 for being gay.”

“Who the fuck does that?”

“The same could be said for your father too...”

“Touche.”

“Anyways, my grandparents took me in. Raised me since. I try to do right by them.”

“You’re a good person, Nicole.”

“Then why doesn’t Waverly see it? Why am I always the bad guy with her? What did I do?”

“I honestly have no idea. She doesn’t act like this. Something is going on with her and I don’t know what. She won’t talk to me. For the first time in my life, she’s shut me out.” 

“Am I that bad a person?” Nicole hated drinking. She was a sappy drunk and this time was going to be no different. 

“Come on Haught, don’t let what others think of you get you down. You’re a great person. Waverly will come around in time.”

“She’s gonna yell at me again.” Nicole moped. “I hate when she yells at me.”

“Just remember, Haughtpants, she’s not yelling at you, per say. They fucked with her pretty bad during that game. It really got to her. I think she feels safe with you and when she doesn’t feel safe she lashes out. Does that make sense?”

“But...oh hell. Whatever. I’ll deal with Ashton’s bitch ass real quick.”

“There’s a party tomorrow night. You guys should come. It’s an all jocks party. Lots of hot girls will be there. Let me be your wingman. Let’s get you a date, Haughtsauce.”

“Eh, why the hell not?” Nicole smiled. “I’m a fucking hot fire fighter, who the hell wouldn’t want to date me?”

“Exactly! Wear something hot, Haught. Show off that damn body of yours.”

“Fuck it, let’s have some fun tomorrow, Wyn.”

“That’s the spirit!” Wynonna knocked her bottle against Nicole’s before taking a long swig.  
\----------------------------

Eliza stormed out onto the softball field after having spotted Waverly practicing. She had just about enough of Waverly treating Nicole like shit and she was going to do something about it. 

“Hey!”

“Hi yourself.”

“What gives you the right to treat Nicole the way you treat her?”

“Excuse me?” Waverly stopped pitching as Eliza got in her line of motion.

“You heard me. We just got back and we’re already hearing how you’re pissed off at Nicole again. What the fuck did she do now? And why the fuck do you keep treating her like this?”

“I...”

“Answer me, Waverly! This isn’t right! Nicole is literally the sweetest, kindest person on this planet and for some reason she has a thing for you and yet all you do is treat her like complete and utter shit. What did she do to deserve it?”

Waverly sighed and looked down, shaking her head. “I honestly don’t know, Liz.”

“What do you mean, you don’t know?”

“I don’t know! Exactly what it means! One minute I’m having the time of my life with her and the next my anxiety is spiking through the roof and I lash out. I have no idea why it happens with only her. I’ve racked my brain. I can’t even pitch right when she’s not here. What the fuck is that about?” Waverly threw her hands in the air in defeat.

“Ok, so why are you mad at her now?”

“I guess I was just angry y’all left and I got so worried about her not coming back...I mean, any of you not coming back.”

“So, you’re angry cuz we left and didn’t tell you? Or because we left and were in danger?”

“The second one.”

“Ah gotchya.”

“Yes it’s stupid and no I’m not actually mad at her. I mean yes, I am. She makes me a better player, Liz. I can’t even pitch a fucking ball right when she’s not here. They lit my ass up, Liz. 10 runs. I have never give up 10 runs in my entire life. 5 homeruns. Ugh.”

“Hey, it’s ok to have a bad game. It happens. What’s not ok is what you’re doing to Nicole. She doesn’t deserve any of this.”

“I know...”

“You need to figure out what’s going on in that head of yours. And whatever it is, it’s ok to feel them.”

“That’s what Gus said too.”

“Then maybe you should start listening. And if you need someone to talk too, remember you have Wynonna. And if you don’t want to talk to her, you can always go to Gus and if she’s not good enough, you can come to us, Waverly. We’re not just teammates. We’re your friends but for the love of God, if you keep hurting my sister, I’m going to kick your ass.” Eliza wrapped her arms around Waverly, pulling her into a tight hug. “Seriously though, you have us.”

“Thank you...”

“Why don’t I help?” Eliza grabbed Waverly’s extra glove and squatted behind the plate. “Just give us a chance, Waverly.”

Waverly threw a pitch at Eliza, who was shocked at how much power Waverly had behind it. “So, Rosita and Chrissy, huh?”

“Yeah, it’s weird to me too but Rosie is happy. I can’t argue that, ya know? She deserves the best things in life. They both do, really.”

“What about you? Are you seeing anyone?”

“Ha. No. I have my own issues to deal with.”

“Yeah, don’t we all?” Waverly laughed. 

“Has Nic told you why we chose Northwestern?” Eliza lobbed the ball back at Waverly, who pitched it again. 

“Not that I recall.”

“She wanted Oklahoma so bad. It was her dream school. She was offered a full-ride academic and athletic scholarship. We all were but a few weeks before National Signing Day, Ester and Henry found my birth family. I’m adopted ya know? By Ester and Henry. So, technically I am Nicole’s aunt but that was just weird.” Eliza and Waverly both laughed. “Anyways. They found my birth parents. I told Nicole I would still go to Oklahoma but she insisted that we go to a school close to my family so I could get to know them. She sacrificed her one true dream so that I could meet my family. Who does that?” Eliza stopped and shook her head with a smile plastered across her face. “Even though we came here for that, we wouldn’t give up what we have with this team, I hope you realize that, Waverly. The fact is, is Nicole is the most selfless person I know. And it was in that moment, that she sacrificed her dream for me that I knew she was my true family. While my new family is great, I can’t beat the one I already have.” Eliza tossed the ball back to Waverly again, this time they stood, just playing catch. “What about you? What about your family?”

“It’s just Wynonna and I now. Daddy killed our older sister Willa and our momma when I was 14. Wynonna shot daddy to protect me when he tried to kill me. Wynonna raised me the best she could, with the help of Gus.”

“Holy shit...”

“Yeah.” Waverly shrugged. “It’s why I don’t do families or friendships really. Everyone leaves. Thanks for the help. I’mma get going. Have a good night, Liz.”

“Have a good night, Waverly.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okokokokok, yes, this is a slow burn. a really. really. really slow burn. I don't ever write slow burns but wanted to try something new with this story, knowing that there will be at least 4 installments in this series. So, bare with me. I promise, at some point, Waverly will stop being a dick.
> 
> If you would like another Wayhaught softball fic, there is a one shot called Out of my league by inevermetaphorididntlike. amazingly written.


	10. The party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang goes to a party. Bad things happen...
> 
> (TRIGGER WARNING! Rape/Non-con takes place)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the chapter I was working towards. I feel this is a big turning point for the story and I'm excited it's finally here. 
> 
> Happy 7 year anniversary to my wife! Love you babe!

Waverly stood in front of the full length mirror, looking herself in the eyes, trying to will herself to say the five little words she needed to say. “Wynonna, I think I’m gay.” Waverly shook her head. “No. Wynonna, I am gay.” She tried to say with confidence but it came out a shakey mess. “Ugh.” Waverly finished curling her hair, it falling just below her shoulders with a soft bob back up. Her hair was perfect. Her make up was spot on and her outfit was to die for, at least she hoped. She had finally decided to talk to Nicole but wanted to make sure she looked the part. She was wearing a sundress with sunflowers on it that buttoned up the front. She had on golden leggings to match the sunflowers and black boots that went just above her ankles. 

Wynonna ran into Waverly’s room. “Hey Babygirl? I’ll meet you at the party.”

“Where are you going? I thought we were going together?”

“Not tonight. I promised Nicole I would be her wingman! Gonna get Haughtshit laid tonight.”

“You’re what?” The shock flowed through Waverly’s body as if she had just stuck her finger in an outlet. 

“Yeah, I figured she should live this college thing up and I know you won’t let me find you someone so I went with my next best option.”

“Since when did you start being a matchmaker?”

“I’ll have you know, I’ve set up a bunch of couples before.”

“Uh huh. Sure you have.”

“Shut up. It doesn’t matter. Tonight I will succeed in finding someone for our fire fighter.”

“I think she’s very capable of finding her own date.”

“Must be shy cuz I offered and she said yes.”

“Please don’t do this, Nonna.”

“Why do you care, all of a sudden? You seem to hate her anyways.”

“I don’t hate her.” Waverly started to fiddle with her hair a little. 

“Well then you have all of us fooled, Waves.”

“I don’t hate her, Nonna. I...just get so nervous around her for some reason. And then I lash out. My anxiety has been high lately and I don’t know why. Maybe it’s school. Maybe is the shit Ashton and Stephanie do, I don’t know. But it’s not her fault.”

“Then maybe you should tell her that.”

“I think I will. Tonight...”

“Good. Now. I gotta go. I’ll see you there?”

“Yeah, Nonna. See you there.”

\----------------------------------

The group of women walked up to the mansion that the party was being held in. The place was bigger than any house any of them had ever seen before. Waverly, Chrissy, and Rosita all stared. 

“This place is huge.” Rosita spoke with awe. 

“Really huge...”

“Who owns this place again?”

“Some frat boy’s parents. I think his name is Perry? I don’t know. I met him through his friend, Champ.” Chrissy said as she stared up at the mansion.

“Typical jock name if you ask me.” Rosita mumbled. 

Chrissy placed her hand on Rosita’s cheek and rubbed her thumb against it. “Don’t be jealous, baby.” 

“I’m not jealous.” Rosita growled. Chrissy just gave her a look. “Fine. I’m jealous a little.”

Chrissy leaned in and kissed Rosita’s cheek, whispering in her ear. “No need to be jealous, my love. You’re the one walking in with me on her arm. Waverly watched the two women and smiled sweetly at them. 

‘They do make a cute couple.’ Waverly thought to herself. ‘I wonder if I would look that cute with Nico...’ She shook the thought from her head and walked into the house. Chrissy and Rosita followed, watching the loud group of guys in the corner do beer pong. There was another group in the kitchen chugging from a keg. But Waverly eyes soon fell on Wynonna and Nicole standing in the back corner of the living room, drinks in hand. Wynonna pointing at Nicole’s abs as she held up Nicole’s flannel. Nicole’s face was deep red. The girl standing in front of Nicole was licking her lips as she stared seductively at the redhead. The group made their way over to them.

“Having show and tell?” Rosita asked before lifting her shirt, showing off a set of abs just as defined as Nicole’s. Chrissy’s eyes zeroed in on her girlfriend’s abs. 

“Baby, those are for my eyes only.” Chrissy reached forward and tried to pull Rosita’s shirt down. As they struggled, Eliza and Kate walked up. Kate’s defined stomach was already exposed due to her dress having that portion of her body exposed. Eliza feeling left out, lifted her shirt as well. 

“Mine definitely win.” Eliza proclaimed, running her hand up and down her 8 pack. 

“Do you all work out together?” The girl asked, drooling over all four of their bodies. 

“We’re sisters. Of course we work out together.” Nicole smiled. 

“Wa...wait you’re all related?” She looked mainly towards Kate.

“What? Because I’m black I can’t have two white as hell sisters and a latina sister?”

The girl started to back pedal on her words, not sure what to say. The group just laughed. “She’s just messin with ya! We’re not blood related but we’re legally sisters. All of us are adopted.” Eliza laughed. 

“Oooooh.” She looked over the group. “All lesbians? And only one is taken?” The girl smirked some more. Waverly finally had enough.

“God, keep it in your fucking pants, will ya?” Everyone’s attention turned to Waverly who was fuming. Her anxiety high, she did the only thing she knew to do. Fight. “What? Nicole’s not a fucking piece of meat. She’s just sitting here with her tongue out like she is. Like you all are. It’s disgusting.”

“Hey! That’s enough, Waverly.” Nicole grabbed Waverly by the arm and pulled her off the side. Before she could say anything, Champ walked up and offered the girls each a drink. Both took the cups. 

“Drink up girls, no reason to look so mad!”

“Champ, not now.” Waverly angerly looked at him. He put his hands up in defeat and walked away. 

“I don’t know who the hell you think you are. You act like we’re fucking dating, Waverly!”

“Nicole, you were sitting there flirting with that girl and you don’t even know her?”

“So fucking what? Maybe I wanted a one night stand. I haven’t had sex in months! Maybe I just want to fuck someone and not worry about the next morning. And you don’t get a say in who I flirt with, Waverly!”

“But...”

“No buts! You’ve made it very clear that you don’t want me flirting with you. So I don’t. It takes everything in my power not to flirt with you because I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable. You’re straight. What am I supposed to do? Keep pining over you when all you do is treat me like shit? Well, fuck that! I’m done putting my feelings on hold. I’m done falling for girls who don’t want me! And if you don’t like that, well too damn bad. As far as I’m concerned we’re teammates but other than that, I’m done...” Nicole looked down. And spoke ever so softly. “I’m done.”

“You know what, fine! Whatever you want.” Waverly grabbed the drink that Champ had brought over and chugged it, throwing the cup at Nicole before storming off. Nicole just sighed, grabbed her drink and headed back to the group.

“Well, that looked fun.” Wynonna broke the silence. 

“Shut up, Wynonna.” Nicole spat out but quickly softened her tone. “I’m sorry.”

“Was that your ex?” The girl Nicole had been flirting with finally spoke up.

Nicole laughed. “No. Not at all. Where were we?” Nicole smiled at her. The two walked off to the corner of the room, Nicole’s hand sitting in the small of the shorter woman’s back. 

“You were just showing me your abs, because apparently you can bench press me.”

“Mmm, I would definitely like to find out.” Nicole had the woman’s back against the wall, her arm pressed above the woman’s head as she leaned in to talk to her. 

“I think that is something I would be interested in.” The woman’s hands were pressed against Nicole’s chest, slowly unbuttoning the top 3 buttons on her flannel. Much to her surprise, Nicole only had a sports bra on under it.

“Yeah?” Nicole smirked, biting her lower lip. She leaned in to kiss the woman but could only see Waverly’s face in her mind. She stopped just before her lips met hers. “Fuck.” Nicole groaned. 

“Is everything ok?” Nicole sighed and placed her hands on the woman’s stopping her from continuing. 

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I can’t do this.” Nicole released the woman’s hands, letting them drop and button her shirt back up. She grabbed her cup once again and headed over to Eliza. 

“For fuck’s sake, Nic. Are you doing that thing again?” Eliza rolled her eyes and shook her head in disapproval. 

“What thing?”

“That thing where when you like a girl you won’t allow yourself to like someone else? That thing.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Nicole pretended not to know what Eliza meant. 

“Oh, you know damn well.”

“Where’s Wynonna?”

“Well, she figured since you were getting laid, she should get laid. So she took off with some guy.”

“At least one of us is getting laid tonight.” Nicole laughed. Nicole took a sip of her drink and her eyes instantly went wide. 

Eliza and Kate both caught Nicole’s look. “What is it?”

“This drink. It’s laced.”

“What?”

“Do you not remember all those times Pops told us about drinks with different drugs in it and what they taste like. Even the small hints?”

“Yes?”

“This is one of them.” Nicole started searching around the room. “Where’s Waverly?”

“What? What do you mean?”

“Where is Waverly!?!” Nicole grabbed Eliza by the shoulders. “Find Waverly! She had one of these too!”

“Oh shit.”

The three split up, Eliza ran to Rosita and Chrissy, telling them what had happened. Kate took off to the west side of the house while Nicole ran towards the living room, searching around. 

When they had walked in, Nicole remembered seeing a staircase that was blocked off. She ran towards the back of the house, spotting the staircase. The rope blocking the upstairs had been removed. Nicole took off up the stairs, taking two at a time and sprinted up to the landing. She looked left down the hall and then right. There was at least 10 rooms. One caught her eye though, the door slightly ajar. She ran as fast as she could to the end of the hallway, pushing the door open. Champ was on top of a very out of it Waverly, kissing her neck. She was weakly pushing at him but had no energy to get him off. Nicole grabbed him by his shoulder and ripped him off Waverly.

“Get the fuck off of her!” Nicole stood, ready for a fight. 

Champ turned around and instantly swung on Nicole. The two began to wrestle around the floor, taking swings at each other and connecting. Nicole managed to push Champ away long enough to get back to her feet. He swung again but missed, Nicole hitting him in the gut. Nicole swung again, but this time she missed as Champ ducked under the punch and shoulder blocked Nicole through the glass window behind her. Nicole fell through the window, covering her face the best she could as she fell. Nicole landed on the hood of her own truck, hard with a thud. Glass and debris flying down around her. She groaned and took in a deep breath, as much as she could trying to will her body to move. Nicole slid off the truck, opened the back door of her truck and grabbed her bat from her gear bag. She had to get to Waverly.

She ran as fast as she could back up the stairs, spotting Eliza. “Call 911!” As she got back to the room, she saw Champ with his pants down, about to crawl on top of Waverly. Rage filled every ounce of Nicole’s body. She swung the bat as hard as she could, connecting with Champ’s knee. But she didn’t stop there. She swung again, this time landing across his back. Champ crumpled to the ground, painful screams coming from his mouth. Nicole was seeing red. She had blacked out. 

When she finally focused again, she was mid swing, Rosita holding the other end of the bat. “COLE! STOP!” Rosita yelled. Champ was laying in the fetal position on the ground. Nicole was shaking and finally let go of the bat as Rosita pulled it away from her. She looked to Waverly, who’s dress had been ripped opened. She quickly unbuttoned her flannel and laid it over Waverly’s chest before anyone else could get in the room. “Di...did you call 911?”

“They’re almost here.” Eliza said from the doorway. 

Nicole was covered in cuts. Blood pouring out of each one. Her back had pieces of glass sticking out of it, blood seeping into her jeans. She couldn’t feel the pain. She couldn’t feel anything but anger still and it was taking everything in her not to beat the living shit out of Champ even more. 

The police quickly showed up, the party disbursing. They took Nicole’s cup as evidence, along with a few things plus Champ. Nicole would be called in the next few days to give a proper statement once she had been taking to the hospital. They weren’t sure if they would be arresting Nicole for assault with a deadly weapon or not but they still wanted her to get checked out at the hospital 

Nicole had done a number on Champ. His leg was broke along with a few ribs, so he was being transported to the local hospital. 

Waverly was still out of it as Nicole rode with her to the hospital, not wanting to let her out of her sight. The EMTs tried to treat Nicole in the ambulance but she insisted that they focus their efforts on Waverly, not on her. She would handle her own wounds once at the hospital.

Nicole pulled her phone from her back pocket and shot a text message off to their Discord group. 

Haught Wheels:  
Find Wynonna, please. Tell her what happened. 

Liz-ard:  
Already called her. She’s on her way. She’s 30 minutes out. 

Cum and get it:  
Are you ok, Cole?”

Haught Wheels:  
Not worried about me, worried about Waves... Hope I got there in time...

Roses are red:  
You saved her, Nic. God knows what he would have done. God knows what he was trying to do, handing one of those drinks to you and to her...

Haught Wheels:  
Any word on any others at the party being drugged?

Cum and get it:  
There were two more girls who were not feeling good after drinking something that was given to them. They think multiple guys were doing it.

Haught Wheels:  
Let me find out who it was and I’ll take a bat to each of their fucking knees!

Liz-ard:  
Calm down, slugger. Don’t need anymore police reports with your name on it. Let us know what’s up. Want one of us to pick you up?

Haught Wheels:  
No. I’ll be here awhile. I’ll Lyft back to my truck. Fuck, they took my bat, didn’t they?

Liz-ard:  
Well, you used it to beat the shit out someone so yes...I’ll go buy you another one tomorrow.

Haught Wheels:  
Thanks Liz...

Nicole pushed her phone back in her pocket as they wheeled Waverly into the E.R. “Ma’am, we’re going to have to ask that you stay out here.”

“I’m her girlfriend, please?” Nicole begged. The nursed sighed and gave a soft nod. Nicole followed them in as they took her to the exam room. She turned a chair around, sitting in it with her chest against the back of the chair. She held Waverly’s hand. “I’m so sorry, Waves. I tried my hardest to get to you...I never should have said what I said.”

The doctor walked in and saw Nicole’s back, the cuts and a few pieces of glass sticking out of it. “Wow. Ma’am, we need you to come with us. We need to get that glass out of your back.”

“No. I’m not leaving her.”

“Ma’am, please...”

“NO! I’m not leaving her until her sister gets here!” Nicole’s eyes filled with tears. The doctor just nodded. 

“We need to do an exam on her to make sure...”

“I understand.” Nicole turned the chair around to face the other way, but never let go of Waverly’s hand. 

After a few minutes, the doctor placed a hand on Nicole’s shoulder and she turned to look at her. She shook her head no on the whether she had been raped. With that, a feeling relief washed over Nicole’s body and tears began to flow from her eyes. “I know you want to stay with her but we really need to get you taken care of. If her sister isn...” Before the doctor could finish, Wynonna burst into the room. She looked at Waverly and then the doctor and then Nicole, finally resting on Nicole’s back and all the blood. She covered her mouth with her hand. 

“What the...”

“I’m sorry, Wyn. I tried to protect her.”

“I would say she did a very good job of protecting her. Your sister wasn’t raped.”

“Nicole, you’re hurt. And your hurt bad.” Wynonna approached, looking closely at Nicole’s back. “Is...is that glass?”

Nicole nodded. The pain finally settling in. “Yeah, at least that’s what people keep telling me.”

“Doc, can you give us a second please?” Wynonna asked of the doctor standing next to them. The doctor nodded and left the room. “What happened?”

Nicole was shaking again. The rage filling her body once more. “After you left, I was talking with that girl. Things didn’t work out. I started talking to Eliza. Took a drink of a drink that Champ had given me, could tell it had been laced. I remember him giving one to Waverly so we started to search for her. I found them upstairs. Him and I fought. He shoved me out the window. I landed on my truck. God that hurts now.” Nicole softly laughed. “I grabbed my bat out of my truck, ran back upstairs and beat the shit out of him...I...” 

“And now you look like a used tampon.” Wynonna joked. Nicole couldn’t help but laugh. “You need to get that looked at...”

“I know. I...” Nicole stood and looked down at Waverly, her flannel was still tugged around the smaller woman’s chest. “I didn’t want to leave her until you got here.”

“You saved my sister and then wouldn’t leave her? Tell me you aren’t falling for her.” 

Nicole smiled and shrugged. “Doesn’t matter if I am...” Nicole headed for the door but was stopped when Wynonna grabbed her wrist.

“Nicole...thank you...” Nicole just gave her a reassuring smile and a nod and headed out to the waiting doctor. 

After what feels like hours, Nicole is laying face down on a hospital bed. Her back is completely exposed, drying, following the cleaning the doctor had done on it. She had removed 10 pieces of glass, small but still dangerous. She was awaiting another doctor to come in as they were going to have to cut open her left shoulder blade to get a piece out that had gone in a bit further than they realized. 

“Nic?” Eliza whispered from behind her.

“Liz? What are you doing here?”

“Wynonna told us that your back looked pretty bad. Said one of us should be here with you...”

“So all of you came, huh?”

“Yes, we did.” Rosita sat down in the chair next to the bed. 

“Where’s Kate?”

“I’m here...” She sounded as if she had been crying. 

“I’m good, Kate. Promise.”

“You always have to be the fucking hero, Nicole! Always!” Kate sobbed. “ And it almost got you killed!”

“She’s being dramatic. I didn’t almost die. I had the situation totally under control.” Nicole joked, trying to play off the tension in the room.

“She’s right, Nic. You could have been seriously hurt. Hell, look how hurt you are now!” Eliza added. 

“Hey! Lay off of her, ok? Are you two saying you much rather Waverly had gotten raped?!” Rosita jumped to Nicole’s defense against their two sisters.

“That’s not what we are saying at all! Don’t put words in our mouth, Rosita!”

“That’s sure what it sounded like! Had Nicole not gotten there when she did, god knows what would happened!”

“HEY! All of you, get out!” Nicole yelled.

“What?”

“You heard me! Go! I’ll talk to you guys later! Right now, I need you gone.” Nicole turned her head away from all of them. They didn’t argue, the three just left the room. 

After an hour, Nicole was finally treated for all of her injuries. The gash in her shoulder blade and concussion were probably the worst of them. As she stepped outside of the hospital she pulled out her phone and called her Grandma.

“Nic! Sweetie! It’s late, is everything ok?”

“Not at all. Something happened and I...and I may be in some trouble.”

“What is it?” Henry asked as her grandma had put her on speaker phone.

Nicole proceeded to tell her grandparents about the events that had occurred that night and about the issue she was now facing and how she was injured. After a few minutes, Henry had made a few calls and had gotten permission from the Chief of police to fly Nicole home for the weekend but she wasn’t allowed to leave for anywhere else unless it was going back to school. Her grandfather called a buddy who had Nicole scheduled for the next flight to Redding. Nicole went home and packed, not telling anyone she was leaving. She needed this trip by herself. She needed to get away. To clear her mind before she exploded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, do ya hate me? cuz i kinda hate me...
> 
> Next chapter: waverly gets discharged. doesn't remember a thing. Nicole spends much needed to time with Ester and Henry. The gang has to deal with the aftermath of Nicole leaving.
> 
> If you haven't done it, you must read Theater of Dreams by darcy81. Fuckin good shit right there!


	11. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aftermath of the party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, at least you guys didn't have to wait long for this chapter. Sorry for those reading my other two stories, this one is just flowing through me right now so it's where I'm sticking for a second. 
> 
> Glad you don't hate me for that last chapter lol. I promise, it will get better, eventually.

Nicole sat in her bedroom, staring out the window at the ranch behind her house. She had missed this. She had missed her grandparents and she had missed the small ball of the fluff that had taken over her bed. She was pulled from her thoughts as she phone started to vibrate. She ignored it. Then it started again. She reached over and pulled it off the bedside table. It was from their Discord.

Liz-ard  
Nic, are you ok? Where are you?

Haught Wheels:  
Redding...

Cum and get it:  
What the fuck? When did you leave town?

Haught Wheels:  
Landed 2 hours ago...

Liz-ard:  
And you didn’t think it was important to tell us?

Haught Wheels:  
I need some time to myself...this thing with Waverly, it’s...I’m pretty messed up guys...

Roses are red:  
What has you messed up?

Haught Wheels:  
I would have killed him, Rosie. Had you not stopped me. And the sad part is, I wouldn’t have felt bad about it. 

Cum and get it:  
He would have deserved it, Cole.

Roses are red:  
Yeah, he tried to rape your girl.

Haught Wheels:  
She’s not my girl...how is she doing?

Roses are red:  
She’s ok. Doesn’t remember anything. Wynonna said she’s coming home in a couple hours. We’re all gonna go see her.

Haught Wheels:  
Do you know if she got the flowers I sent?

Roses are red:  
And you say she’s not your girl ;)

Liz-ard:  
When are you coming back?

Haught Wheels:  
I don’t know.

Liz-ard:  
Nic, what do we tell her when she asks where you are?

Haught Wheels:  
The truth. Don’t ever hide anything from her on my behalf. 

Liz-ard:  
Ok. Should we tell Gus what happened?

Haught Wheels:  
If she doesn’t know already, please make sure she doesn’t find out. 

Roses are red:  
Coach gonna be pisssssed.

Liz-ard:  
Do you think it would be ok to add Wynonna, Chrissy and Waverly to this chat?

Haught Wheels:  
I don’t have a problem with that. Not like we talk about super secret shit in here anyways.

Roses are red:  
*Except for Cole’s obsession with Waverly*

Haught Wheels:  
Maybe make a new one and we will keep this one between us...

Cum and get it:  
LOL!

Cum and get it:  
Come back soon, please, Cole. We miss you already. Please give grandma and grandpa a huge hug for me. I miss them so much.

Haught Wheels:  
They miss you guys too. Pops doesn’t know what to do with himself now that we aren’t here. They are talking about moving to be with us.....

Roses are red:  
They’re gonna sell our house?!? NO!

Haught Wheels:  
Never said anything about selling. Grandma said they are considering coming to live out here while we’re in school and then move back with us during the summer. 

Liz-ard:  
They miss us that much?

Haught Wheels:  
Honestly, I think they miss us more than we realized. I can’t say much, I’ve been miserable without them..

Liz-ard:  
Me too.

Cum and get it:  
Same. I miss grandpa always yelling at Rosie to get out of bed in the morning. Now I have to do it.

Roses are red:  
And it’s just not the same. :(

Haught Wheels:  
I better go. Pops wants to have a talk. Please tell Waverly I’m glad she’s ok...

Liz-ard:  
And how do you feel?

Haught Wheels:  
Mentally or physically?

Liz-ard:  
Both.

Haught Wheels:  
Like absolute shit...worse than that. I have this constant headache right now. My back is killing me. Let’s not talk about the 3 inch cut on my left shoulder blade. And my truck...gonna have to get the hood fixed.

Roses are red:  
Yeah, I saw what your fat ass did to it. 

Haught Wheels:  
Yeah, fucked it up pretty good. LOL.

Liz-ard:  
keep in touch, Nic. Let us know when you’ll be home, ok?

Haught Wheels:  
Will do. I love you guys.

Liz-ard:  
Love you too, sis.

Roses are red:  
I love you more than her!

Cum and get it:  
We all know who your favorite is.

Roses are red:  
CoughcoughWaverlycoughcough

Nicole smiled down at her phone and headed downstairs. Her grandparents were sitting at the table, her grandma looked at her with concerned eyes, finally taking in the damage that had been done to Nicole the night before. 

“Sweetie, how are you feeling?”

“I’m ok, Grandma, I just...” Nicole sighed and sat down at the table, facing her grandparents. “I blacked out...”

“That’s understandable, kiddo. You walked in on him hurting someone you really care about.” Nicole looked up at them with a shocked look on her face. “Oh, don’t try to deny how you feel about that girl, Nicole. You always did wear your emotions on your sleeve.”

“You’re right, I do care about her but she’s straight, Pops. That’s what makes liking her so difficult. And god, do I like her.” Nicole ran her hand through her hair, a small piece of glass fell out. She rolled her eyes. “I dented the truck, Pops.”

“How’d you manage that?”

“You remember when I told you I fell out the window?”

“Yes.”

“What do you think I landed on?”

“Oooo. Ouch. Though you should leave it. It’ll make for a good story of how you fell out a second story window and went back inside to kick the shit out of the guy.” Ester slapped Henry on the arm. 

“Don’t encourage her!”

“I’m sorry. What I meant to say was, don’t do that. Horrible. Bad. Blah blah blah.” Henry directed the last part towards his wife. Nicole smiled. 

“I would have killed him had Rosie not stopped me...I think that’s what scares me the most. I wouldn’t have felt bad about killing him. I really wouldn’t have.”

“The fact that you are sitting here, worried about the fact that you could have killed him tells me that you wouldn’t have killed him, Nic. The fact you are this upset about almost killing a rapist tells me that you value human life far more than most. And that makes you a very special human being. And I am damn proud you call you my granddaughter.” Henry beamed with pride. 

“I just keep thinking about what would have happened had I not gotten there in time. If I would have been too injured after falling from the window. I just keep thinking about what he was going to do to her...I can’t get it out of my head.” Nicole’s eyes teared up and she shook her head, trying to get the thoughts out of her head. “They play through my head like a video. Like a nightmare but all the time. I don’t know how to make it stop. I’ve tried to sleep but I can’t get it to stop. All I see is her. Him on top of her. Him trying to hurt her.” Nicole clinched her teeth and her fists. “And all I want to do is keep beating the hell out of him.”

“It’s only natural, honey. You went through something very traumatic, even compared to what you’ve seen in your life. The visions will fade. Probably after you talk to Waverly.” Ester spoke softly to her granddaughter, reaching out and pulling her hand into Ester’s. 

“And what if they don’t? What if I keep seeing these horrible images?”

“Then we will figure it out but until then, you should go upstairs and call Wynonna. You should check on Waverly. Maybe it’ll do you some good. And then, try and get some sleep, dear.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Nicole headed upstairs and got in her pjs. Every muscle in her body hurt. Every cut stung. She looked at herself in the mirror. She was starting to get a black eye. She had a few cuts on her face but when she turned around, she could see where most of the damage lied. On her back. Her ribs had started to bruise and she had stitches in her shoulder. “At least it was on the left and not on my tattoo...” Nicole laid face down on her bed, finally dozing off a few minutes later.   
\------------------------

Waverly laid in bed, finally getting discharged from the hospital. They had determined she hadn’t been raped and she wasn’t having any lasting issues from the drugs other than being tired. She looked at her bedside table where a vase full of sunflowers sat. She scrunched her eyebrows as she reached over and grabbed the note that was attached. 

“I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you. I hope you can forgive me. I wasn’t sure what your favorite flower was so I sent you mine instead. I hope you are feeling better.- Nicole” Waverly smiled and rolled her eyes. 

“Hey, are you up for some visitors?” Wynonna peaked her head into her sister’s bedroom.

“Is it Nicole?”

“No. It’s Rosita, Eliza and Kate. They just wanted to check on you.”

“Yeah, that’s fine. I’ll be out in a second.” Waverly slid from her bed and slowly walked into the living room where she promptly laid on the couch. “Hi guys.”

“Hey. We just wanted to come check on you, see how you are doing.” Eliza handed Waverly a teddy bear. “These were supposed to come with the flowers too, for some reason they forgot it.” It was a medium sized flannel and beanie wearing auburn teddy bear.

“Where’s Nicole?”

“Uh...she’s...”

“She’s in Redding...she went home after her injuries...” Eliza spit out.

“Wait, what injuries?” Waverly’s heart started to pound, anxiety filling her small body. 

“She doesn’t know yet, guys...” Wynonna’s eyes went wide as she was trying to get them to shut up.

“What don’t I know?”

“What do you remember?” Kate sat down on the ground next to the couch. The other girls followed. Chrissy sat in Rosita’s lap, resting her head on her shoulder. 

“Last thing I remember was getting in a fight with Nicole...”

“Do you remember Champ giving you and her drinks?” Liz asked. 

“Yes.”

“Those drinks were laced. You drank yours and stormed off. Nicole came to talk to me. It wasn’t until about 15 minutes later that she took a sip of hers. She realized it was laced. We all went on a search for you. She’s the one who found you.”

“What? She’s the one who saved me? Why would she do that?”

“Because for some damn reason, she has feelings for you.” Kate blurted out and rolled her eyes. 

“Kate!”

“What? She said not to lie to her!”

“How did Nicole get hurt?” Waverly adjusted on the couch, trying to get comfortable. 

“She fought Champ to save you. He pushed her out of the second story window. She landed on her truck. Apparently when she gets injured she hulks out because she grabbed her bat and beat the shit out of him.”

Waverly was shocked. She couldn’t believe that Nicole had done that for her. “She got cut up pretty bad. When she saw your dress top ripped open, she took off her own shirt and laid it over you.” Eliza nodded at the shirt Waverly was cuddling with. Waverly held it up and realized it had rips and blood on it. 

“Why do you have it?”

“I...I feel safe with it...”

Eliza smiled. “I think she’d want you to have it. Anyways...Nic has a concussion, bruised ribs, a black eye, cuts and scrapes and then a 3 inch gash on her left shoulder where they had to remove a shard of glass.”

“She was gonna kill him. I’m sure of it.” Rosita softly added. “I should have let her. Piece of shit.”

“I’m glad she didn’t. She’s still waiting to find out if she’s getting charged with assault.”

“She might get arrested?!?” Waverly sat straight up. The panic in her voice evident. 

“She might but I doubt it, Babygirl. And if she did, we would fight like hell for her.”

Waverly laid her head in Wynonna’s lap, cuddling the shirt more. “When is she going to come home?”

“We aren’t sure...we didn’t even know she left until just a few minutes ago. Said she needed some time to herself.”

“Is she ok? How bad were her injuries?”

“None of us know. We know of the injuries but we aren’t sure how she’s actually doing. She shut down pretty quickly after it happened. Won’t open up to any of us. Just asked that we make sure you were ok.”

Waverly just nodded, cuddling down into Wynonna’s lap, pulling Nicole’s shirt closer against her body. She had no idea what to think about the events from the night before. She had no idea how to feel but one thing she needed to do was talk to Nicole. Waverly jumped up off the couch. “I need to do something. I can’t just lay here. I...” She frantically started rushing around the room. “I’ll make muffins for the hospital staff. As a thank you. That’s it!”

Wynonna got to her feet first and looked at the other girls as Waverly rushed around the kitchen, pulling together all the ingredients. She pointed to Waverly. “And that’s how you know she’s not ok...she only bakes when she’s upset.”

Eliza pulled out her phone and quickly shot a text message off to Nicole.   
Liz-ard:  
Little Earp is not doing ok...

Haught Wheels:  
What do you mean?

Liz-ard:  
*Video Attached* apparently she only bakes when she’s upset...we just told her what happened. She didn’t know you saved her. She’s worried about you. 

Haught Wheels:  
:( I hate seeing her that way...

Liz-ard:  
She could really use you, Nic. Come home as soon as you find yourself again, ok?

Haught Wheels:  
I’ll be on the first plane home Monday...

Liz-ard:  
You don’t need to drop everything to come home. Just...when you’re ready.

Haught Wheels:  
If she needs me, I’ll be there.

Liz-ard:  
I think you’re the only one who can really explain what happened to her and give her the answers she needs, Nic. 

Haught Wheels:  
Then, I’ll be there.

Eliza leaned over to Wynonna, showing her the messages from Nicole. Wynonna read them but looked shocked. “She’d do that for her?” Wynonna whispered.

“I have a feeling she’d do anything for her.”

“What the hell is going on between the two of them?”

“Nothing that I know of. I think Nicole has a pretty strong crush on that one over there.” Eliza nodded towards Waverly. “Look, after we drop these muffins off at the hospital, why don’t we go back to Nicole’s apartment? She has a small fire pit in the backyard. Maybe we can get Waverly to mellow out a bit?”

“That’d be great. Truly, thank you for everything you four are doing for us. I’m not use to people caring...”

“We aren’t your regular people, Wynonna. We care about people because we all know what it’s like to lose someone.” Rosita slumped against Chrissy. 

“What’s your stories? How did you all end up here?” Wynonna asked as they continued to watch Waverly bake. 

“Was given up for adoption at birth.” Eliza raised her hand.

“Parents disowned me for being gay.” Rosita added. 

“My parents died two years ago in a drunk driving accident.” Kate shrugged. “ Ester and Henry took us all in. Never one thought about giving us up.”

“Guess we’re much more a like than any of us thought.”

“Yeah, Wynonna. We really are.” Eliza said as she placed a hand on Wynonna’s shoulder. It had been a long time since any of them had made new friendships but each of them felt this is where they needed to be and who they needed to be with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Waves/ Eliza have a heart to heart. Nicole comes home. 1st game since the incident. 
> 
> Fic of the chapter: Star Forward and the cheerleader by Wayhaughtmama23. 
> 
> If you guys hadn't figured it out yet, I will be throwing out a "you should read this now" fic every chapter. almost all of them are complete so you dont have to worry about that. And I promise, if I liked them, you'll like them. I'm a fic snob lol. Very picky. That said, I hate my own stuff, so maybe I'm not the best judge of character lmao.


	12. Acceptance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly finds out what Nicole did at the hospital  
> Family bonding  
> Lizerly have a heart to heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, hell. I have to be up in 5 hours to try and get a part for my computer that goes on sale. Do I just continue to write? or do I go to sleep? Decisions, decisions... Well either way, here is another chapter for yall. I really appreciate the kind words for this story. Let's be honest, I don't write it, the characters do. enjoy guys.

It was the second day in a row that Wynonna, Chrissy and Waverly were going over to Nicole’s apartment to have a fire in the backyard but first they were stopping by the nursing station to drop off all the muffins Waverly had been making. 

“Hi, these are for you ladies.” Waverly softly spoke to the nurses. She had no idea who any of them were. 

“You’re the girl from the other night, aren’t you? The one with the very protective girlfriend?” An older lady in dark blue scrubs asked. 

“Girlfriend?” Waverly looked at Wynonna, questioningly. Wynonna shrugged. 

“Yes, that pretty redhead who was in a sports bra, bleeding like a stuck pig. Even with those injuries of hers, she was instant on staying by your side until your sister arrived.”

“Nicole?” Waverly looked to Wynonna again, who simply nodded. 

“She was the sweetest thing but oh, was she protective over you. Wouldn’t let anyone treat her until you were treated first.”

“How did you know she was my girlfriend?”

“Oh, when they brought you in. They wouldn’t let her go with you but she begged and stated she was your girlfriend. The tears in that girl’s eyes as she thought she wasn’t going to be let in was just too heartbreaking to see. I couldn’t keep you two a part. I know it was against the rules but she was so worried about you.” The lady reached out and touched Waverly’s hand, giving her a soft smile. “You are very lucky to have her. She’s definitely a keeper.”

Waverly smiled. “Thank you for all you did the other night, in helping me, I mean. I don’t remember anything but the nightmares say otherwise.” Waverly frowned. 

“Are you having nightmares?”

“Only when I’m asleep.” Waverly softly joked. 

“It’s natural for the memories to come back through your dreams. They’ll stop over time though if they get much worse to where you aren’t able to sleep at all, you should talk to your doctor.”

“That’s good to know, thank you, Ma’am.”

“Oh, don’t Ma’am me. You can call me Constance.”

“Well, thank you, Constance. Will you please make sure these get handed out to all the nurses? You all do such a wonderful job.”

“Why thank you. And you take care. That girl of yours, she’s in for quite the recovery.”

Waverly nodded and the six women left the hospital. “I can’t believe she fought them to stay with me..”

“Yeah, even I’m impressed.” Kate’s voice was filled with surprise. 

“Are you really? That’s totally a Nicole thing to do.” Rosita let out a big chuckle.

“What do you mean ‘a Nicole thing to do’?” Waverly questioned with a puzzled look on her face. 

“Nicole has this thing she does when she likes someone. She invests a lot of time into them.”

“Even if they don’t like her back.” Kate quickly added. 

“Yes, even if they don’t like her back. She wears her heart of her sleeve. It’s very admirable quality of her but it will also be her downfall. I don’t know how many times we’ve seen Nicole get hurt because she invested so much of herself into someone.” Eliza’s gaze went to Kate, with a knowing look. 

“Yes, I made a mistake. Are you guys going to keep bringing that up?”

“Actually, yes. You broke Nicole’s heart. She was deeply in love with you, Kate.”

“What exactly happened between you and Redhot?” Wynonna finally spoke up, too busy shoveling donuts into her mouth. 

“I broke up with her last year. Yes, it was the day before her birthday. Bad timing on my part. I didn’t want to be in a relationship going into college. I was stupid. I started flirting with this girl, nothing ever happened physically, but Nicole found out and that almost ruined our friendship.”

“What Kate is forgetting to tell you is that Nicole is a very loyal person but when she gets hurt, she makes it very clear. Like now. She’s hurting both physically and mentally because of what happened to you, Waverly. She cares a lot about you and it hurt her to see you like that. I can’t promise when Nicole comes back that we will have our Nicole. I don’t know what Nicole we will get.” Eliza explained. Everything about Eliza was relaxing, kind of. Waverly was still worried about Nicole but at least she knew what to expect when she came home. “So, nightmares huh?”

“Yeah. I didn’t sleep again. Just keep seeing Nicole going through that window and Champ on top of me.”

“Do you ever get to the part where Nicole saves you?” Rosita walked backwards so that she could look Waverly in the eye as she spoke to her. 

Waverly shook her head. “No. I always wake up before she can get to me.”

“Maybe that’s your problem. Maybe you need to stay asleep long enough to have her save you.”

“I’ll pass.” Waverly softly said. 

They made their way back to Nicole’s apartment, Eliza and Chrissy got the fire started while Rosita, Wynonna and Kate started to make dinner. “Babygirl, why don’t you go lay down?”

“That’s a good idea. I’m pretty tired still.”

“You’ll have to sleep in Nicole’s room. I have my crap all over the guest bed.” Kate said as she pointed towards Nicole’s bedroom.

“Do you think she’d mind?”

“Not at all. I’ll let her know if it’ll make you feel better.”

“I would appreciate that, thank you.” Waverly grabbed Nicole’s flannel from her purse and headed for the bedroom.

“Nicole is gonna jizz her pants!” Wynonna laughed. 

“That’s pretty accurate, actually.” Rosita chuckled as she chopped up some bell peppers and onions. Wynonna was frying the ground beef and Kate was supervising. 

“What’s this stuff called again?”

“It’s something Grandma Ester always cooks. It’s call Noodley stuff. You cook some pasta, cook 2lbs of ground beef. Once it’s fully cooked, you pour out the grease and oils from the beef. Add in the bell peppers and onions so that you get a good flavor in your meat. You add in fourth to half a large stick of Velveeta cheese, a can of cream of anything though she usually uses cream of celery. Melt the cheese in the cream of celery to get a nice creamy sauce. Drain the noodles, throw it in the pot with the noodles and bam, Noodley Stuff.”

“I don’t know what you just say but it smells delicious, baby.” Chrissy came in and wrapped her arms tightly around Rosita’s middle, pressing her face into Rosita’s back. 

“You’ll love it, I promise.”

“I’m sure we will.” Chrissy pressed a kiss into the side of Rosita’s neck. “I’m so lucky to have you.” She softly whispered in Rosita’s ear, causing Rosita to smile from ear to ear. 

“No, baby, I’m the lucky one.” Rosita stole a quick kiss and went back to cooking. She loved how domestic this moment was. Something she knew she wanted in the future with Chrissy. 

“Wynonna, how’s that pasta looking?”

“Like it could stick the underside of a guy’s ball sack.” Rosita just stared at Wynonna. “I said what I said.” She went back to looking at the sauce in the pan. After Wynonna emptied the water out of the pasta, she set the pot back on the stove where Rosita added the sauce and meat into the pot. Wynonna looked down at her watch. “Wow, this is the longest she’s been able to sleep since the party.”

“Maybe we should go check on her?” Chrissy asked.

“I got it.” Eliza jumped to her feet and walked to Nicole’s bedroom door, slowly pushing it open. Waverly was curled up under the blankets, Nicole’s shirt wrapped around Nicole’s pillow in which Waverly was gripping it tightly. Eliza pulled out her phone and sent a photo off to Nicole. 

Liz-ard:  
Only time she has been able to sleep since that night. Apparently you make her feel safe.

Haught Wheels:  
If that’s the case, please ask her to stay at my apartment. I want her to feel as safe as possible.

Liz-ard:  
You just like having her in your bed, don’t ya? ;)

Haught Wheels:  
It is nice to know she’s safe. Being in my bed is just a plus. 

Liz-ard:  
Are you still coming home tomorrow?”

Haught Wheels:  
Bright and early. Pops is coming with me to look at a house for him and Grandma.

Liz-ard:  
Really! Yes! Can’t wait to see Grandpa.

Haught Wheels:  
He’s very excited to see you girls too. As am I. 

Liz-ard:  
Are you doing any better? :(

Haught Wheels:  
So-so. Just like Waverly, I am having my moments. Has Gus found out yet?

Liz-ard:  
No. We’ve managed to keep it underwraps. You’re lucky. She would have had your ass, for sure.

Haught Wheels:  
Underage drinking, frat party, a fight, potential arrest. Why in the world would be she pissed? Lol.

Liz-ard:  
Smart ass. 

Haught Wheels:  
Only on special occasions. I gotta go. Dinner time. Again, please let Waverly know she can stay as long as she’d like. 

Liz-ard:  
Thanks Nic.

Haught Wheels:  
Anytime. Love you.

Liz-ard:  
Love you too, Nic.

Eliza walked back into the kitchen as they were just starting to hand out plates. “No Waves?”

“I can’t bring myself to wake her up. She looks so peaceful right now.”

“Yeah, let’s just leave her for now.” Wynonna agreed, grabbing a beer from the fridge. “How’s Haughtstuff?” 

“She’s so-so as she put it. Though she’s coming home sometime tomorrow.”

“That’s great! I wonder if she’ll be ready for the game on Thursday?”

“I highly doubt it. She’s still complaining of headaches following that concussion.” Kate mentioned. 

“Did she ever say how she got it?”

“Yeah, a piece of the window frame hit her when it came down. Got her right in the middle of the forehead.”

“Ok, everyone, dig in.” Rosita demanded as she handed out plates of the food they had just finished cooking. 

Wynonna and Chrissy looked at each other with caution. “Just trust us. It’s amazing.” Eliza said with a mouth full. “Tastes just like Grandma’s. Great job, Rosie.”

“Thanks!”

Wynonna and Chrissy finally forked a bite into their respective mouths. Moans escaped both women’s mouths.

“Oh, my. God.” Chrissy said. “Mmmm. Baby, this is outstanding.”

“Yeah, guys, this is pretty orgasmic.” Wynonna added before shoving another fork’s work into her mouth. “Keep this one, Chrissy! You’ll never go hungry.”

“I think I just might..” Chrissy shot Rosita a big smile as the rest of dinner feel into a comfortable silence.  
\---------------------------------

A few hours had passed and everyone had fallen asleep around the house except for Eliza. She was still sitting out next to the fire, a cold beer in hand. Waverly wondered from the bedroom, noticing it was 2:00 AM. Waverly made her way to the empty chair next to Eliza. 

“You guys should have woke me up.” Waverly was still trying to shake the sleep from her body. 

“That was a no-go, good buddy. You looked too peaceful and Wynonna said it was the longest you had slept without a nightmare. We weren’t about to take that away.”

“Why are you still up?”

“Just thinking about my family. I go to meet my dad tomorrow, for the first time. I’ve spent time with my mom but this is the first time I’ll be seeing my dad.”

“Wow, that’s pretty big. How are you feeling about it?”

“Honestly?” Eliza sighed. “Terrified.”

“Why so?”

“I have this big fear that they won’t accept me. I know it’s stupid but they’ve already rejected me once, what’s to say they won’t do it again?”

“They would be stupid to reject you again. And you know what? If they do, it’s there loss. Fuck them. We’re your family.” Waverly smiled her game winning smile at Eliza. 

“Save those smiles for Nicole tomorrow, will ya?”

“She’s coming home tomorrow?!?” The excitement in Waverly’s voice wasn’t meant to come out but Waverly didn’t care.

“Yeah, sometime tomorrow. She also said you are more than welcome to stay here if it’ll help you sleep. She said she just wants you to feel safe.”

“Thank you, Liz...hey Liz?”

“Yeah, Waverly?”

“Is that offer still open to talk?”

“Always, what’s up?” Eliza turned so she was facing Waverly but she remained laid back in her chair, not wanting to sound so eager. 

“How...how did you know you were gay?”

“You mean other than the whole liking girls thing?”

“Yeah.”

“It took me a long time to accept it, honestly. I wasn’t like Nicole. She came out and was just happy as a clam. Me, on the other hand, I was reserved. Waited until the perfect moment to fully accept who I was. I think the thing that really set who I was, was when I was in school. It was my freshman year of highschool and it somehow got around that I was gay, even though I hadn’t accepted that myself. And in that moment, I just said fuck it. I took back control of my sexuality and I realized it wasn’t a bad thing to be gay. It’s a wonderful thing actually. It’s shaped the four of us into being some of the most caring, kind people you will ever meet. And it’s so freeing, Waves. God, it was like being swept out to sea and then being able to come up for air for the first time.”

“..........I think....I think I might be gay.” Waverly finally confessed. 

“Ok. That’s totally fine. What makes you think that?”

“I have these feelings....I keep having these feelings for Nicole.”

“How so?” 

“Well, one thing, she’s beautiful. Not just beautiful like you or Rosita are but like I wanna strip her clothes off beautiful.”

“Well, thank you for calling me beautiful.” Eliza smirked. “Secondly, that’s ok to find her sexually attractive. I’m pretty straight girls do too.” She laughed. “But seriously, if you have feelings for her, you should tell her.”

“I know. I just...this is all new to me. Every time I get around her, I start feeling these feelings and then my anxiety kicks in and I’m yelling at her. I don’t mean too, I just lash out and it’s always towards her.”

“Maybe it’s because you know you won’t lose her.”

Eliza’s words fully sunk in. “But what if I already have?”

“Then fix it. Nicole is a pretty understanding person, just as long as you talk to her.”

Waverly nodded in agreement. “Thanks, Liz...oh, can we please keep this quiet? From everyone, including Nicole?”

“Of course. Just understand that once you come out of the closet, we won’t be letting you go back in.” Eliza smiled as she patted Waverly’s knee. For the first time since first meeting Nicole, Waverly finally felt like herself again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dawwwww look at the little gayby Waverly is turning into. Ya remember that slow burn? I think it's about to pick up some steam. 
> 
> Fun fact: The noodly stuff receipt was one my mom created and would cook a lot before she passed away two years ago. you guys should honestly try it, it's amazing lol. 
> 
> Tonight's drink of choice, Squirt and food of choice, Trolls eggs and David Sunflower seeds. 
> 
> Next fic ya need to read is "Stop Making Eyes at Me(but I don't want you to) by Half and TheGaySmurf. Unfortunately, Smurf passed away recently but god, I love this story so much. It just speaks to me in so many ways.


	13. Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole returns home  
> Wayhaught finally talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another day, another chapter. I'm way too tired to even write this thing. so....uh...enjoy? yeah! thats what i was trying to think of!

Pressing the key into the lock, Nicole slowly turned the key, unlocking the door in front of her. Her plane had been delayed coming back and it was now 2:23 AM. She sat her belongs down on the living room couch and headed to her bedroom. Her pain medication had been causing her to randomly get tired mixing that with traveling, Nicole was ready to pass out where she stood.

Nicole fumbled around in the dark, kicking off her boots, throwing her jacket over the chair in the corner. Before she could crawl into bed, she heard a whimper come from her bed. “Ni...cole...” Nicole turned on the bedside lamp and saw Waverly in a cold sweat, chest rising and falling rapidly. Her head turning back and forth. Tears were streaming down her face, falling into the pillow that cradled her head. Nicole sat on the edge of the bed and gently shook Waverly.

“Waves, wake up. It’s ok. It’s me.”

“NICOLE!” Waverly screamed so loud it hurt Nicole’s ears, shooting straight up in bed, the breath being pulled from her body. She instantly wrapped her arms around Nicole’s neck, not realizing she was there. Nicole noticed Waverly’s grip was so tight that it hurt but she didn’t care. She wrapped her arms around the smaller woman’s midsection.

“Shhh..it’s ok. It’s ok, I’ve got you.”

Before Nicole could continue, Kate and Eliza busted through the bedroom door, bats in hand. “Waves!” Kate relaxed seeing Waverly in Nicole’s arms. Nicole gave her a sympathetic look and Eliza nodded, heading out of the room, back to their own room. “I...you...” Waverly still couldn’t catch her breath.

“It’s ok, I’m right here, Waves. You’re ok. It’s ok. You’re safe.” Nicole’s voice was so calming and relaxed. Waverly buried her face in the crook of Nicole’s neck, the wet of her tears soaking Nicole’s skin. “Shhh. It’s ok. Nothing will ever happen to you, Waves. I promise.”

Finally coming out of her nightmare, Waverly slowly pulled away, her hands cupping Nicole’s face. “You..you’re here...really here?” Tears still sliding down her face. 

“I’m real. I promise. It’s not a dream. You’re safe.”

Waverly clung to Nicole again, crying harder. “You’re ok? Really ok?”

“I’m ok. Not super ok but ok enough.” Nicole continued to rub Waverly’s back, trying to sooth her. Nicole laid Waverly back on the bed but never released her arms from around the smaller woman. She softly stroked Waverly’s hair as they laid there, trying to calm her more. “Are you ok?” Waverly shook her head no. “Is there anything I can do?” Nicole softly whispered. 

“Don’t let go of me, please?”

“Never, Waves. Never.” Nicole pressed a soft kiss into Waverly’s hairline. “As long as you’ll have me, I’ll be by your side, ok?”

Waverly nodded. “Thank you.” Nicole pulls the blankets over both of them, tucking them around Waverly and herself. Laying on her back was utterly painful but was worth it to have Waverly sound asleep on her chest.   
\--------------------------

The morning light broke through the window, shining directly into Waverly’s eyes. She groaned and tightened her grip on Nicole, burying her face into Nicole’s shoulder to try and escape the light. Nicole snored a little, startling Waverly and herself awake. 

“Mmm, sorry...” Nicole apologized as she pulled Waverly closer, not fully awake. Nicole quickly realized what was happening and released her grip. ‘I’m sorry, Waverly. I...”

“Please stop apologizing to me for it is I who owes you an apology, Nicole. So. Many. Fucking. Apologies.” Waverly sat up in the bed, adjusting the tank top she had slept in the night before. Her hair was still perfect in it’s messy bun and she pulled the blankets tightly around her waist, her hands fumbling in her lap. 

“You don...”

Waverly put up her hand, stopping Nicole mid-sentence. “No. I do. Since I love my family, I was diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder. Ever since you came to this school, I have been an absolute bitch to you. You see, I...I get so nervous around you. You scare me.”

“I scare you?” Nicole’s face softened and she smiled a sweet dimpled smile that made Waverly want to push her back on the bed and kiss her. But she wouldn’t. Not right now anyways. 

“Yes. And so many other things are going on at the same time and I don’t know how to handle this and I get so overwhelmed...” Waverly’s anxiety was starting to amp up and she was starting to hyperventilate. 

“It’s ok. Breath, Waves. You’re ok.” Nicole mimicked the breathing she had been teaching her, the best she could in her state anyways. 

Once Waverly had calmed down, she continued. “Now, when my anxiety kicks in, I go into fight or flight mode. Most times it’s flight but for some reason, when it happens around you, it’s fight. And I get overwhelmed with anger. Not even at you but at the situations I’m in and I last out at you. I do not know why, Nicole. I just know that I am so fucking sorry for how I have treated you. And then there’s you, I treat you like shit and you fucking save me. You got injured to save me. Why would you do that?”

Nicole looked extremely puzzled as to why Waverly would even ask. “Are you serious? Even if you were my worst enemy, I’d never let that happen to you. And fuck, you are the furthest thing from my enemy, Waves. I care so much about you, I wish you would see that. I consider you a friend and a teammate. And no matter what happens those feelings will never stop. I would die to protect you, Waverly. That’s what I do for the people I care about. And yes, while you’ve not treated me the best, when I do manage to break down your walls to see you, the real you, that’s the person I want to know. That’s the person I try to reach when you’re upset. You really are an amazing person, Waverly. I wish you would see that.” Waverly noticed Nicole fumbled with her fingers and the hem of her own shirt. “I’m sorry for what I said to you at the party. I was out of line..”

“Except you weren’t. I had no right getting jealous.”

“You were jealous? Why?” Nicole moved closer to Waverly, placing a hand on hers. 

“I guess I was afraid I might lose you...”

“Lose me?”

“I tend to lose those I care about so I don’t get close to anyone anymore. I try to keep everyone at arms length. The only people I’m close with are Wynonna and Chrissy but those relationships were made before the incident. I thought we were getting too close. Becoming too good of friends. So, I pushed back.”

“Well, I can promise you, you won’t lose me, Waverly. Once you become part of our family, we don’t let go.” Nicole nudged her head towards the family photo sitting on nightstand. “You, Wynonna and Chrissy are one of us now, Earp.” Nicole looked down. “Can I confess something?”

“Of course.”

“I feel so responsible for what happened to you, Waves. If I hadn’t yelled at you, you never would have taken that drink. You never would have been put in that situation. I am so sorry. So sorry.”

“There is nothing to apologize for, Cole. You. Saved. Me. Do you hear me?” Waverly poked her finger into Nicole’s chest and then left her hand sitting over her heart. “You are my superhero.”

“I’m no hero. I did what any decent human being would have done.”

“No one else was looking for me, Nicole. Even upset at me you did everything in your power to make sure I was ok. If that isn’t a superhero, I don’t know who would be.” 

“Agree to disagree then.”

“I wish you were playing in the game tomorrow.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because you’re injured?”

“Yes but Gus doesn’t know and Waves, I have a huge favor to ask.”

“Anything.”

“Please don’t tell Gus. I plan to play in tomorrow’s game.”

“What?! No! You can’t!”

“I’m fine enough to play, Waverly and we both know I can’t have Ashton catching for you.”

“I much rather deal with her for a game then to have you get hurt more.”

“Look, we both know those scouts are coming to see you tomorrow. You can’t risk having Ashton screw up your chance. I refuse to let her or anyone else catch for you. We’re a team. It’s you and I. Fire and Ice.”

“Fire and Ice? Is this because you guys call me the Ice Queen when I’m being bitchy?”

“Heard about that, did ya?” Nicole smirked. 

“Yes, I heard about it! And...you were right. And I love our nickname. So, Fire, how do we get away with this?”

“I’m glad you asked....I have no idea.” Nicole and Waverly both laughed for the first time in what felt like days. Nicole sighed. “God, your laugh is like Christmas.” Nicole softly admitted. “It just...just lights up a room, Waverly.”

Waverly blushed and tucked her head to try and hide it. “I could say the same for yours...thank you for staying with me last night. The nightmares have been pretty bad.”

“I know what you mean.” Nicole softly admitted. 

“Are you having them too?” Waverly squeezed Nicole’s hand. 

“I have been, yes. And the pain meds make them 20x worse.”

“What do you dream about?”

Nicole hesitated but couldn’t hide from Waverly. “I keep seeing him standing over you and me falling through the window and not being able to get back to you....” Tears welled in Nicole’s eyes. “Not being able to save you. Or losing control and having killed him. That’s the hardest one, honestly. I almost killed him for what he did to you. And I’m scared because I don’t feel bad about it. And part of me wishes I would have killed him for what he was going to do to you, me and the other girls.” Waverly reached up and brushed a tear from Nicole’s cheek, leaving her hand to linger a little long on Nicole’s cheek before pulling it away. 

“I dream about you not being able to stop him...and I’m paralyzed. I can’t move to stop him or to scream for help.”

“We’re quite the pair, aren’t we?” Nicole smiled weakly in which Waverly nodded. All she could do was pull Nicole into a tight hug, one that Nicole couldn’t hide her pain.

“Oh god! I’m so sorry!” Waverly instantly let go, Nicole missing the contact already. “Jesus, you slept on your back...how much pain are you in?”

“I’m in a fair amount.” Nicole tried to smile through it but failed. 

“Where are your meds?”

“In my bag in the living room. I’ll grab them in a minute.”

Waverly shook her head, “No. Stay here. I’ll get them.” Waverly ran to the living room and grabbed the pill bottle plus a bottle of water from the kitchen, taking them back to Nicole. She handed her a pill and the open bottle of water. “Drink up, please?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Nicole took her pill. Waverly could see some blood coming through on her back. 

“You’re bleeding!”

“It’s ok! I promise. The doctor said this could happen and not to freak out. I just need to change the bandage. I’ll do it after I shower.”

“May I see?” Nicole arched an eyebrow and smirked. “Your injuries, I mean.”

Nicole thought for a moment but nodded. She turned with her back to Waverly and pulled her shirt off. She wasn’t wearing a bra as the straps sat across a few key cuts. Waverly sat on her knees, getting closer to Nicole’s back and began to examine the damage. Waverly’s heart broke at the sight before her. So many cuts and a large bruise running down her right side. 

“Oh, my god...” Waverly breathed out. She ran her fingertips down Nicole’s back, gently touching the skin before her. Nicole shivered at her touch and closed her eyes as Waverly began to explore more of Nicole’s back. A smile feel across Nicole’s lips when Waverly leaned down and kissed Nicole’s left shoulder blade, a couple inches away from her big cut. Her lips lingered and Waverly took in a deep breath. She inhaled Nicole’s scent.

“I..it’s not that bad...”

“Cole, it’s bad. Are you sure you can play tomorrow? You don’t have to do this.”

“I would do anything for you, Waverly.” Nicole plainly stated. “I should get showered. Do you think you could help me change the bandage after?”

“Of course.”

Nicole climbed off the bed, her hands cupping her breasts to slightly hide them from view. “You know, Waves, if you want to stay, until the nightmares stop I mean. I wouldn’t mind the company.”

Waverly watched as Nicole walked into the bathroom, mulling over the offer from the taller woman. She hadn’t slept so soundly as she had last night with the few hours with Nicole, not since she was 14. She also wanted to keep Nicole’s nightmares away while keeping he own at bay. She nodded to herself. She would accept her offer. She would be spending the night with Nicole Haught.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wellllll, things seem to be heating up between our favorite duo. Waves getting a little brave there.
> 
> Snacky Snacks for this chapter: David's sunflower seeds and mug rootbeer. And chinese lol
> 
> Next Chapter: First game since the incident. what could go wrong? :)
> 
> Next on your "Wayhaught Winter Break Reading List", " is "I'll fight for what I want (even if it kills me)" By LoneWolfWriter who is an absolute fucking artist with their stories!


	14. Flying high, falling fast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole gets topless  
> Wolves first game since the party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooo! Got this done before 2AM. So happy! yeah, yeah, it's the little things in life haha. Hope yall enjoy. Just a warning, updates might be coming a little slow as I have to get caught up in my classes before finals in 2 weeks. So, bare with me.

Nicole woke up the next morning, she was flat on her stomach, arm tucked under the pillow that held her head. She felt Waverly’s head on her right shoulder and her arm snaked across Nicole’s back. It wasn’t until she moved that she realized she wasn’t wearing a shirt of any kind.

Waverly placed a small kiss to Nicole’s cheek. “Good morning.”

“Morning...” Her voice came out rough. “Did you sleep ok?”

“I did. Better than you did.”

“Wha...what happened last night?” Nicole rubbed her eyes with her right arm but didn’t move from her comfortable spot. She was exhausted and felt like she hadn’t gotten any sleep at all. 

“Around 2 AM you woke up screaming.” Waverly frowned as she relived the memory from the night before. “You were in so much pain but you wouldn’t wake up. You kept saying that your shirt was burning you, so I took your shirt off. When I did that, you laid on your stomach and fell back asleep.”

“I...uh...I’m super sorry about that.” Nicole rubbed the back of her neck, embarrassed. 

“Don’t be embarrassed, Cole.” Waverly nuzzled the back of Nicole’s shoulder. “I’m just glad I was able to help you.”

Nicole noticed a small cut on Waverly’s lip. She reached out with her hand. “What happened, Waves?”

“Oh, nothing.” Waverly was a horrible liar and Nicole could see right through her. 

“Waverly, what happened?”

Waverly sighed and sat up. “Well, when you got scared last night, you swung your elbow and it hit me in the lip...but I’m fine. It’s nothing to worry about. I promise!”

Nicole instantly sat up, freaking out. “Are you kidding me?!? It’s totally a big deal!” 

Waverly smiled and shook her head. “No it’s not. My lip is fine.”

Nicole started to reach her hand out but stopped only to continue when Waverly nodded. She cupped Waverly’s cheek and pulled her face closer to her, so she could better examine it. Her thumb slipped across the cut, Waverly flinching at the touch. “I’m so sorry. God, I’m so sorry.”

Waverly placed her hand on Nicole’s and kissed her palm. “I promise, it’s ok. Please don’t beat yourself up about it. It was an accident.” Waverly’s eyes fell downwards and went wide. She quickly looked away as a blush formed over her cheeks. 

Nicole looked down and realized she was completely topless. She jumped out of bed and pulled on a San Francisco Giants jersey. “Holy shit! I’m so sorry. Oh god...” Nicole’s face was as red as her hair. “Fucking, god. Could this keep getting worse?” She muttered to herself, her back still to Waverly. She ran her hand through her hair and let out a sigh. “God, you must hate me. I’m such a screw up.” Nicole headed towards the bathroom, her head hung in defeat. She was stopped when she felt a hand wrap around her wrist. 

“Hey, stop. I hate when you put yourself down like that. You are NOT a screw up, Nicole Haught, do you understand me?”

Nicole didn’t turn or try to answer. Instead she gently pulled her wrist away and headed into the bathroom before Waverly could say anything else to her. “My parents are right...” She had split Waverly’s lip open. She had hurt her...how could she even look her in the eye knowing she had hurt her. And then on top of that, she flashed her, her tits. She shook her head. “You’ll never deserve a woman as good as Waverly Earp. Just accept it.”

Waverly sat outside the bathroom door, listening to Nicole as she put herself down. God how she hated it. She hated hearing Nicole talk down to herself all the time and then to admit that her parents were right? What had happened to Nicole prior to her going to her grandparents? How bad had it been for her? Waverly gently knocked on the bathroom door. “Cole? Please open the door?”

“It’s ok, Waves. I’m fine.”

“No you’re not. And I know you don’t want to talk about it and that’s fine but at least let me in? Please?” Nicole didn’t answer so Waverly laid her head against the door. “Hey Cole?”

“Yeah?” Nicole whispered from the other side of the door. 

“Do you wanna build a snowman?” Waverly started to sing softly. “Come on, let’s go and play? I never see you anymore, come out the door, it’s like you’ve gone away...” Waverly could hear Nicole laughing softly on the other side so she continued. “We use to be best buddies and now were not, I wish you would tell me why?” Waverly paused mid-song and smiled. Knocking again. “Hey Cole?” She sung. 

“Yeah?”

“Do you wanna build a snowman?”

The bathroom door opened and Nicole smiled the softest dimpled smile that Waverly had ever seen. “Yes, Waverly. I’ll build a snowman with you.” 

Waverly took Nicole’s hand in hers. “You don’t have to tell me what happened but please don’t shut me out?” Nicole sat on the toilet, her head in her hands. Waverly knelt in front of Nicole and playfully rested her head on her knees, trying to get her to look at her. “Hey...” Waverly softly tugged at Nicole’s hand with one finger, just prying one of her fingers away enough to see one of her eyes. “There’s those beautiful chocolate eyes. Hi.”

“Hi.” Came out mumbled from the other woman. 

“Before you say anything, I need you to hear me, ok?”

“Ok.”

“You are one of the most amazing people I know, Nicole Haught. You are smart, beautiful, an amazing friend, you love harder than anyone I have ever seen. You fight for your family and your friends. You endure so much pain just so those you love don’t have too. You, Nicole Haught, are not a screw-up. You are extraordinary. And anyone would be extremely lucky to have you in their life. I know I am.”

Nicole dropped her hands and sighed. “We have a game to win today, don’t we?”

“Yes we do. Are you sure you’re feeling up to it?”

“You can’t talk me out of it, Waves. Me and you.”

“Fire and Ice.” Waverly finished Nicole’s sentence with a smile. She stood up and held her hand out to Nicole, who took it. Waverly pulled Nicole to her feet and hugged her. “Please don’t shut me out?”

“I can’t promise that but what I can promise is that I will try.”

“That’s all I ask.” Waverly pulled back from the hug so she could look Nicole in the eyes. ‘God, they are so beautiful. She is so beautiful.’ Waverly said to herself. Her eyes darted from Nicole’s eyes to Nicole’s lips. Oh how she wanted to kiss her. Waverly cleared her throat. “We should get a move on. Don’t want to be late.”

“No, Ma’am. Time to reclaim my position.” Nicole headed out of the bedroom and started to get dressed. Waverly patiently waited in the bathroom, getting dressed herself.   
\---------------------------- 

The two girls arrived at the ballpark pretty quickly, heading into the locker room. Everyone looked shocked as Nicole walked in behind Waverly. 

“Y’all are acting like I died...calm down.” Nicole chuckled and rolled her eyes. 

“Are you sure you can play, Nicole?” Mercedes questioned, her eyes filled with concern. 

“Totally cleared to play. It’s been a few days. I’m all good.” Nicole grabbed her uniform and headed into the bathroom. She slipped on her shirt, not wanting anyone in the locker room to see how bad her back actually was. Nicole walked back out a short time later and began to put on her catcher’s gear. Her and Waverly did their pre-game ritual where Waverly helped put on Nicole’s chest protect and shin guards. 

“Oh, look at the fag, having to get help to get dressed. Isn’t that precious?” Stephanie quipped from across the locker room. Before Nicole could say anything, Mercedes was in Stephanie’s face. 

“What the hell is your problem? You’ve had a hard-on for Red since she got here. They won the job. Isn’t Nicole fault you’re a shitty pitcher that gives up home-runs so easily. I stand behind them. If you have a problem with them, you have a problem with me and I have no problem shoving my foot so far up your ass that you’ll be tasting my nail polish.”

“You think I’m scared of you? Please.” Ashton stepped in front of Stephanie and stared Mercedes down. “Not everyone on this team feels they can win a championship if Waverly is on the mound.”

Rosita, Chrissy, Wynonna, Eliza, Rachel and Kate stepped up next to Mercedes. “We do.” The six said at the same time. Nicole and Waverly stood in awe at the group standing before them, defending them. 

“And if you call Haught Sauce one more homophobic name, I won’t hesitate to get myself kicked off this team at your expense.” Wynonna threatened.

Stephanie and Ashton huffed, turned on their heals and stormed out of the locker room. “Thank you, you guys didn’t have to do that though.” Nicole was still in shock.

“You’re our starting pitcher and catcher, we’re going to defend you even if it’s to our own asshole teammates.” Mercedes clapped Nicole on her left shoulder. It took everything in Nicole not to flinch and yell. Waverly’s eyes went big and she gently pulled Nicole backwards. 

“Come on, slugger, let’s go warm up, shall we?” Waverly suggested as she pulled Nicole towards the field.

“That fucking hurt.” Nicole softly whispered to Waverly, making sure no one else could hear. 

“Are you alright?” Waverly was so concerned for Nicole, her voice shook a little. 

“I’m good. Let’s get warming up.” Nicole squatted behind the plate and attempted to hold up her arm but winced in pain. “Fuck.” She whispered. 

“Cole?”

“Gonna be a little hard to give you a target, Waves.” Nicole tried again but the pain was even worse. 

“Ok. How fast can you move your arm up to catch the ball without having a target for me?”

Nicole moved fluidly without an issues. “Not as much pain.”

“Can you get through a game?”

“Yes. But Waves, you need a target.”

Waverly nodded and grabbed a silver sharpie from her bag. She walked up to Nicole and drew a little silver heart on her chest protector, right where the strike zone would be. She patted Nicole on the chest a few times. “There. Now I have a target. Just make sure you catch what I’m throwing.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Warm-ups went better than either had expected. Nicole could see how relaxed Waverly was. She seemed to have no stress in her entire body. She was throwing like it was just them and she had some heat behind the ball. 

“Hey, what are ya two doin’? Why aren’t you holdin up your glove?” Gus questioned as she approached Nicole. 

Looking like deer in the headlights, Waverly ran up. “Oh, I asked her not to. I think I pitch better without the target.”

“I trust you two but if it starts causing an issue, ya better fix it, understand? This is a big game. Pro scouts are already in the stands for you, Waverly. And we have National scouts in the stands too. The being said, if things look sketchy at all, I’ll be giving Stephanie and Ashton some playing time. Understand?”

“Yes, Coach.” Both girls nodded. 

“Good, get warmed up, game is about to start.”  
\----------------------------------------

Nicole sat behind the plate, the first pitch about the be thrown. Nicole looked at her notes she had strapped to her arm. She nodded to herself as she got the pitch call ready. Two taps to the left leg, three to the right, one finger in the middle. Nicole was signaling that the girl couldn’t hit an inside fastball. Waverly set in her stance, rocked back and then powered forward. Nicole got her arm up just fast enough to catch the ball and man did it hurt. “Strike!” The umpired yelled. Nicole gave Waverly a big smile and nodded at her. 

“Let’s go, Waves!” Nicole yelled enthusiastically at Waverly. “ That’s what I’m talkin’ bout!” She threw the ball back to her, her adrenaline pumping, she couldn’t feel the pain anymore. Nicole motioned for an inside Rise Ball. Waverly nodded and threw a perfect strike. Looking at the chart on her arm, Nicole tapped her right leg once and threw down two fingers, signaling for a Drop ball. Nicole watched as the ball started out straight, acting as if it were going to come in as a fast ball but at the last second, the movement caught and dropped the ball out of the air. 

“Strike three!” Nicole smiled as she winked at Waverly. Waverly returned the smile as she caught the ball. Nicole knew it was only one batter but she also knew if she could keep Waverly in this zone, they’d win this game in no time.  
\-------------------

The game was almost in the bag. They were up 5 to 0 and it was the bottom of the 6th. Nicole and Waverly sat at the far end of the bench. Everyone knew when they did this to stay away because they were coming up with a game plan. Waverly was one inning away from a perfect game, something she never even considered. Nicole was calling the pitches perfectly and Waverly was delivering. Not only were they jelling on defense, the two girls were doing great on offense. 

“Don’t stress too much about a perfect game, Waves.” Nicole gently patted Waverly’s knee. “You’re doing amazing and we’re going to win this game. The two of us, right?”

Waverly nodded, trying to stay in the zone. “Fire and Ice.”

“Damn right, baby. Look, I’m almost up to bat, when we get back out there number 56 hasn’t been able to hit that drop ball all night. Hell, no one has. The movement you have on that ball right now, it’s golden. First pitch, she’s gonna be grounding that plate, throw rise ball up near the shoulder, get her to back off the plate, but make sure it’s a strike. When she does that, We’ll hit her with an outside drop, and then push back into the inner corner with a change up.” Waverly looked on in amazement at her catcher rambling on about the women that were coming up to bat next inning. Nicole could tell Waverly was still nervous. “Waves, I need you to stay focused, got it? You’re an amazing pitcher. You’re so hot tonight, it’s ridiculous.”

“Excuse me?” Waverly teased. 

“I meant your balls....THE PTICHES.” Nicole rolled her eyes after he small outburst. “Ugh, you do that on purpose, don’t you?”

“Oh, I do. It’s so fun to tease you.” Waverly looked towards the pitcher as Wynonna stood on 2nd base. “What do you think she’s going to throw you?”

“Every inning she’s thrown me a curve to the outside of the plate. I’d say she’s going to do it again.”

‘If you know that, why haven’t you hit the first pitch?”

“I’m not a fan of swinging at the first pitch. I will occasionally when the time is right but for the most part I hit the 3rd pitch.”

Waverly thought about Nicole’s words and her at-bats on the night, realizing she had never swung at the first pitch. Nicole looked down and rubbed her forehead between her thumb, middle and ring fingers. “Another headache?”

“Mmmhmmm.” Nicole groaned. 

“You need to talk to your doctor about that. I’m concerned you aren’t healed from your concussion.” Waverly softly whispered in Nicole’s ear. Nicole just waved her off. “Well, show me what ya got then, slugger.” Waverly nudged Nicole after watching Rachel strike out. “You’re on deck. Good luck, Cole.”

“I think it’s safe to say, tonight is our game.” Nicole winked at Waverly and ran from the dug out to the on-deck circle. She took a couple practice swings and then watched as Stephanie struck out. Nicole couldn’t help but give her a smile as she walked down the steps, into the dugout. Nicole got up to bat, dug her back foot so far into the ground that she was no longer hitting soft clay but now hard, compact dirt. 

“Come on, Cole! You got this!” Eliza cheered from the dugout. “Let’s go, 3-3!”   
Waverly got up on the fence, cheering along with Eliza. “Hit another one, Cole!”

Hearing Waverly cheer her name made Nicole hyperfocus on the ball. As it left the pitcher’s hand, it was exactly what Nicole thought. She swung, solid contact being made. The ball flew over left field’s fence. Nicole’s 3rd home-run of the day. Turned out, when Waverly was happy and cheering her name, Nicole played extremely well. Nicole trotted around the bases and jumped on the home plate, being met by Wynonna, who was high-fiving her. 

“Great shit, Red Haught.”

“Damn right I am!” Nicole cheered as she walked down into the dugout only to be met with a half hug from Eliza and a full hug from Waverly. She handed Nicole a bottle of water, which Nicole took a drink out of. “Mmm, peach?”

“Yeah, I figured you could use something other than plain water. It’s flavored. No calories, sugar or any of that, just a flavor. I know how much you have to watch that girlish figure of yours.” Waverly playfully poked Nicole in the abs. Nicole rolled her eyes. 

“Thanks, Waves.” Nicole started to gear up and Waverly began to help her. “You don’t have to do that, ya know.” 

“I’m aware of what I don’t have to do, Cole. But I want too.” Nicole let out a soft moan as Waverly’s thumb grazed the inside of her upper thigh. It was so soft that only Waverly heard it and she looked away shyly, trying to hide her shit eating grin and blush. 

“Sorry.” Waverly gently apologized. 

“I..it’s ok.” They finished putting on Nicole’s gear and headed out on to the field. 

Waverly remembered what Nicole had told her about the first batter. Within 3 pitches, the girl was out. Waverly’s 14th strikeout of the game. 

Nicole held up one finger. “One down! Two to go! Make those plays, ladies!” she yelled out at her team. She squatted back behind the plate, her shoulder was killing her but she had to push through for Waverly. Nicole motioned to the left twice and the middle once with three fingers laying down. With that, Waverly threw a fast ball down the middle but the batter connected. The ball sailed into centerfield. Wynonna ran forward as fast and as hard as she could, diving and making the catch with the tip of her glove. The umpired signaled out. Wynonna jumped up, threw the ball back in and dusted herself off, picking her sunglasses up off the ground. She winked at Waverly as Waverly gave her a thankful smile. 

“Two down! One to go! Stay sharp, Wolves!” Nicole yelled. She called time out and ran out to Waverly. “Hey, I know you’re nervous. There’s no need to be. I’m gonna get you out of this game, do you trust me?”

“With everything that I am.” Waverly responded. Her response made Nicole smile big. 

“Good. Stay calm, fast ball inside.” She bumped her helmet against Waverly’s forehead in a very jock move and Waverly just laughed as Nicole ran back to the plate. 

With a sweeping motion backwards, Waverly’s arm swung around in a big circle, pushing off the mound and releasing the ball, her back foot causing dust behind her. The ball flew forward, hitting the tip of the bat. The ball flew into the air, heading towards the visitors’ dugout. Nicole flipped off her mask and ran towards it, noticing that Eliza had lost sight of the ball. Nicole reached out her glove, hitting the fence and tumbling 4 feet down into the visitors’ dugout. They did their best to try and catch her, but not before her head into the side of the concrete wall. Nicole laid on the dugout floor and held up her arm, showing the ball in her glove.

“OUT!” The umpire yell as the Wolves dugout cleared and the team started to celebrate Waverly’s perfect game. Nicole crawled back to her feet and winced as she touched the back of her shoulder, blood. She groaned but was thankful they had worn their black home jerseys today and it would only look like sweat. Nicole wanted to celebrate with Waverly but she couldn’t have anyone see her back so she rushed off to the locker room. Waverly looked around and noticed Nicole limping her way to the locker room, hand to her head and the other holding her shoulder. Nicole had promised her that she would get her out of this game and she laid her body on the line to make sure it happened.   
\------------------

Waverly rushed off to the locker room after having talked with the scouts for a bit. They had wanted to speak to Nicole as well but Waverly told them that she had bumped her head and wanted to get through concussion protocol as soon as possible. It was slightly true. Nicole had gone straight to Curtis to get her head checked out. Sitting on the exam table, Nicole had been told she suffered another concussion. The rest of the team had taken off to go celebrate at a local bar, where Waverly promised to meet them afterwards. 

“Cole?”

Nicole pulled the towel from her eyes and looked at Waverly with a small smile. “Hey. Great game.”

“Are you ok?”

“I don’t think my concussion is going away anytime soon.” She rubbed her head. 

“Oh no.” Waverly quickly moved forward, her cleats clacking against the concrete floor. She placed her hand on Nicole’s cheek, in which Nicole melted into, closing her eyes. 

“My shoulder is bleeding too. They don’t know that part. I shoved some gauze in there.”

‘Do you want me to look at it?”

“If you wouldn’t mind.” Waverly nodded and pulled her hand from Nicole’s cheek, both of them instantly missing the contact with the other person. Nicole unbuttoned her uniform and slid it off. Waverly gingerly pulled at the bandage until it came off.

“Shit.”

“That bad?” Nicole tried to look over her own shoulder at the wound but to no avail.

“You ripped your stitches open, Cole. We have to tak...”

“What the hell is going on in here?” Gus walked up behind the two women, noticing Nicole’s injuries. All of her injuries. The bruised rib cage, the cuts, scrapes and the blood. All of the blood.

“Shit.” Waverly muttered under her breath. 

“Uh...”

“What the hell happened to you? And don’t say it was that dugout catch because you and I both know that’s the furthest from the truth, isn’t it?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Nicole sighed.

“My office, now!”

Waverly went to go with them but Gus stopped her. “You stay out here! You two apparently can’t make wise decision when you’re together.”

Waverly slumped against the chair in the locker room. It was a good 40 minutes before Nicole came out, looking defeated. Gus followed and looked at Waverly. “She’s been suspended for 4 days for hiding a serious injury.”

“You can’t suspend her! She didn’t do anything wrong!” Waverly jumped to her feet, anger flying through her. “She was perfectly fine today!”

“Waverly, I advise you to stop talking before you join her.” Gus warned. 

“I don’t give a fuck! She didn’t do anything wrong!” Waverly went to step towards Gus but Nicole stepped in between and pushed her hand into Waverly’s chest. She leaned her mouth next to her ear.

“Waves, stop...”

“Congratulations on your perfect game, Waverly but you are now suspended along with Ms. Haught here. And if either of you try to argue, I will make it longer.”

Waverly went to say something again but Nicole wrapped her hand over Waverly’s mouth and nodded at Gus. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“Now, get movin! We’re got to get you to the hospital.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dawwww. all the touchy feelies. and welp...what ever will Wayhaught do during their suspensions?
> 
> Next Chapter: Wayhaught are suspended...things happen. whatever. nothing to see here. 
> 
> Snacky Snacks: Fruit punch kool-aid and cracked pepper david sunflower seeds. 
> 
> Please add "Wayhaught" by Lviart84 to your "Mandatory Pandemic Reading list".


	15. Movie Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Group Movie Night  
> Calendar is released

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is...something else lol. I enjoyed writing it but I can't promise the ending will make sense as I have been pirate eyeing it for the better part of this story. so, we will see.

Waverly and Nicole walked out of the hospital, Nicole having been on the receiving end of some more stitches and scolding from her doctor about playing against her orders. They had asked Waverly to leave, family only but Nicole played the girlfriend card again, insisting she stay for the stitches. Truth was, Nicole wasn’t a fan of needles. They made her want to pass out and even though she couldn’t see the stitches being put in, she needed the moral support. They walked along the sidewalk, shoulder to shoulder. 

“Hey, you know, I was thinking...and you don’t have to say yes but I thought it might be easier for you...” Nicole rambled nervously.

“Out with it, Haught.” Waverly laughed and bumped her shoulder into Nicole’s. 

“Well, I was thinking, since you have been suspended with me, I was wondering if you might wanna hang out this week? We really haven’t had time to get to talk or to really get to know each other. Strictly as friends, obviously.” Nicole quickly added, realizing that it sounded as if she were asking her out. 

“Seeing as I’ve slept in your bed the last week, I guess I can get to know you a little.” Waverly laughed at the thought of how this last few days had gone. “Speaking of which, do you mind if I stay for a couple more days? I just...” Waverly shivered, trying to get the thoughts from her head. 

Nicole instinctively wrapped an arm around Waverly’s shoulder and pulled her close as they walked. “Of course. Stay however long you want to, Waves.” ‘Forever, I’m good with forever.’ Nicole thought to herself. “If you feel safe with me, then please, stay as long as you need.”

“I really appreciate it, Nicole. And I do feel safe with you. More than with anyone...well other than Wynonna.” Waverly wrapped her arm around Nicole’s waist, pulling herself tighter against the redhead. 

“I guess we should get some dinner, huh? I’m afraid I don’t have much in the fridge at home.”

“Yes you do. I restocked your fridge a couple days ago. I didn’t want you coming home to an empty fridge.”

“Waverly! You didn’t have to do that! Gosh, how much do I owe you?”

“You’re letting me stay at your apartment. You don’t owe me anything.”

“Please! Let me pay you back somehow.”

“Fine. Buy me dinner tonight.”

“Anything. Where would you like?”

“Um...how about that little Italian place we saw on our way here?”

“You are in luck, I happen to love Italian.” Nicole smiled. They walked passed a news stand and something caught Waverly’s eye. She pulled away from Nicole and grabbed something off a shelf. 

“Oh. My. God.”

“What? What is it?” Nicole glanced over Waverly’s shoulder and instantly blushed at was in her hand. In Waverly’s hand was a copy of the calender that Nedley had, had the girls do photos for.   
Waverly smirked at the back. “You are going to be the next hot thing on campus with these photos.” Waverly turned her head, looking at September. Her birth month. Nicole was front and center, only in her helmet, sports bra with pants and the suspenders. She was holding a big fire hose with water spraying on her and a big grin on her face. Nicole tried to take the calender from her but the smaller woman wiggled away with it. “Come on, Cole. You look smokin!”

“Haha very funny.” Nicole sighed and continued to watch Waverly with a smile.

Waverly turned to December. Nicole was topless, the straps of her suspenders covering her nipples. Her hair had a soft curl to it and it flowed out from under a Santa hat. She was laying upside down on the hood of the old red fire truck, her right leg pulled up while her left leg stretched up the window of the truck. She seductively looked at the camera while her thumbs hooked under the straps of the suspenders, threatening to remove them from where they were covering. “Merry Christmas indeed.” Waverly licked her lips. “Damn, Cole, the four of you are sexy as fuck.” Waverly closed the calender before her mind could wander more. She paid for the one in her hand and 4 more. “Can’t wait to show the girls.” Waverly giggled.

“Oh, come on, Waves. Please don’t do that.”

Waverly could see how embarrassed Nicole was. She placed a hand on Nicole’s cheek. “Hey, please don’t be embarrassed. You are amazingly sexy, Nicole. You are definitely going to be very popular very soon.”

“Ugh, that’s what I’m afraid of.” Nicole groaned. “I don’t want to be popular. I just want to do my job and play softball.”

Seeing how uncomfortable Nicole was, Waverly turned back to the news stand. “Is this all you have, sir?”

“No. I have about 30 more back here.”

“I’ll take them all.” Waverly handed the man her credit card. 

“Wait, what? Waverly. No.”

“Nicole, it’s obvious that these make you uncomfortable so if there isn’t any to buy then no one can see them right?” He handed Waverly her card back and then handed her a box full of the calenders plus all the ones on the shelf. 

“Not wanting anyone to see your girlfriend, Miss?”

“Damn right.” Waverly said, not bothering to correct the guy.

“Girlfriend now?” Nicole smirked and whispered into Waverly’s ear. 

“HA! You wish.” Waverly grabbed Nicole’s hand. “Now come on, you owe me dinner and then we’re gonna go meet up with Wynonna and the girls to explain exactly what happened.” Nicole sighed as Waverly pulled her along, heading in the direction of the Italian place.   
\-------------------------------

After a nice dinner, Nicole and Waverly made their way into the pub, spotting a group of players from their team sitting at a booth in the corner. Waverly dropped the box in front of Wynonna and Eliza. They both pulled out a calender, looking them over. “Damn these came out great!” Eliza said, passing one to Kate and Rosita. “Why do you have so many?”

Before Waverly could answer, Nicole piped in. “Oh, miss made-of-money over here, didn’t want anyone seeing me like that.”

“Oh, is that so?” Eliza smiled and arched an eyebrow. 

Waverly slapped Nicole’s arm. “Ow!”

“That’s for lying. The truth was...” Waverly saw the look on Nicole’s face and relented. “She’s right. I didn’t want anyone seeing her.” She mumbled.

Nicole looked over and saw Rachel sitting at the bar. “What’s the pup doing here? Isn’t she like 15?”

“16 and a half, thank you!” Rachel yelled back towards Nicole. Nicole laughed. 

“Kid’s smart and a damn good ball player to be playing college ball at 16. Got a bonafide prodigy on our hands.” Kate looked towards the younger woman. 

“Damn hard to believe. And she’s our starting left field? That’s what I’m talkin bout, huh Smalldez?” Wynonna teased the girl. 

“Why must you call me that?” Rachel whined. 

Nicole laughed and patted her on the shoulder. “At least your last name isn’t Haught. How did y’all get her in here anyways?”

“She’s our DD.”

“Does she even have a license?” Nicole joked.

“Haha, very funny. Yes I have my permit.” Rachel said as she tried to hold back a laugh. 

“Y’all excited for Tuesday’s game?” Rosita asked as she threw back a shot, her arm wrapped around Chrissy. 

“Well, we won’t be there.” Waverly rolled her eyes. 

“What? Why?”

“Waves and I got suspended for four days. No go for us.”

“What? Why the hell did you get suspended?” Mercedes growled. 

“You mean other than the fact she wasn’t supposed to be playing today?” Wynonna chuckled and sipped her beer. 

“She’s right. Not cleared to play. It would have just been me that got suspended but this one of over here just couldn’t keep that mouth of hers shut.” Nicole playfully wrapped her arm around Waverly’s shoulder and pulled her close, fluffing her hair. Waverly swatted Nicole’s hand away, laughing at the taller woman.

“Oh god, Waverly!”

“I was defending Nicole!”

Wynonna rubbed her hand down her face in frustration. “Waves, you can’t keep running your mouth. It’s gonna get you in trouble.”

“I know, Nonna. I’m sorry. I was just so mad at Gus suspending Nicole.”

“You ever think Gus suspended Nicole cuz she’s bull-headed and wouldn’t have stayed off the field otherwise?” Eliza asked. 

Waverly groaned and rolled her eyes, realizing Eliza was right. “Yeah, fine.”

“Fuck, so now we have to deal with the cunt-astic bitch herself.” 

“What is with your family and that word?” Nicole leaned to Waverly’s ear and asked softly. Waverly shivered at the closeness and shrugged. “Are you cold?” Nicole took off her letterman’s jacket and wrapped it around Waverly’s shoulders. Eliza’s eyes narrowed, brows arched in surprise. Waverly accepted the jacket and pulled it tightly around herself. 

“Look, if we have to deal with her, we need to figure out how to win without her because we all know she’s going to make our lives a living hell out there.” Rosita questioned.

“You guys need to play as a team even without her. You guys are good enough to play around the distraction.” 

Ignoring the group, Chrissy grabbed one of the calendars out of the box and began flipping through it. “Jesus.” Right off the bat, she had all 4 women, standing under the EFD logo on the fire station. They were leaning up against the brick wall, all of them had their tunic pants on, suspenders sitting over white tank tops that left very little to imagination. Their jackets were resting below their shoulders. Nicole had her foot propped up on the brick wall. “Could y’all be any fucking hotter?”

“Just wait until April.” Waverly gave a devilish smile. 

Chrissy turned the page to February where Rosita was standing in her uniform pants, a black sports bra, her helmet and an axe resting on her right shoulder. “Mmmm. I’ll be asking for this to be recreated later.” Chissy seductively grabbed Rosita’s chin and pulled her into a kiss. 

“Your wish is my command, baby.”

“Ew. Will you two stop?” Wynonna whined. 

Chrissy flipped to March, Eliza and Kate stood in front of a river. They had on tight tank tops, their uniform pants and steel toed boots. Each had an axe resting on their toe, Eliza’s on the right, Kate’s on the left, both had their hair down and were smiling big. Apri was a doozy. Each women was wrapped around the fire poles in the station, Nicole was up high, using only her arms to hold her horizontal as she stretched out, her abs perfectly flexed. Eliza was hanging upside down, living very little to the imagination. Kate was the most seductive of them all, her body wrapped very sexy around the pole and Rosita used her legs to hold herself straight out as well. All were in their pants but very little tops.

“Holy shit, Haughtpants and Rosie! What the fuck are you two on? And look at all these abs!” Wynonna drooled. 

“Oh, it gets better.” Waverly giggled. Nicole just rolled her eyes and sat down with a Sprite in hand. She offered some to Waverly. “Thanks, Cole.” She took a sip and handed it back. A girl walked up and ran her hand down Nicole’s arm, much to Nicole’s discomfort. 

“You’re September, aren’t you?” The woman gave Nicole the biggest bedroom eyes that anyone on the team had ever seen. 

“What’s September’s” Chrissy quickly flipped to September, her jaw dropping. “Holy fuck, Nic!”

“Yes, I’m September.”

The woman straddled Nicole’s lap and started playing with her hair. Nicole never moved her hands, keeping them up in the air, showing no signs of being comfortable with what was happening. “Let’s say you and I get out of here and go somewhere a little more private?” She kissed the side of Nicole’s neck and gave Waverly a ‘help me’ look. Before Waverly could do anything, the woman’s tongue was shoved into Nicole’s mouth. Waverly quickly jumped to her feet and pulled the woman off Nicole. “Get off my girlfriend!”

“Your what?” The shocked woman looked to Nicole. Nicole nodded. And the woman smacked Nicole across the face. 

Waverly jumped at her, tackling her to the ground. She punched her twice before Wynonna pulled Waverly off of the woman. “Don’t ever fucking touch her!”

Eliza and Rosita helped the woman up. “You heard her, touch her again and you’ll be answering to all of us, got it? Now get the hell out of this bar.” Rosita got in the woman’s face before Chrissy pulled her back. 

Waverly turned her attention to Nicole, quickly cupping her face to check for injuries. “Are you ok?”

Nicole chuckled and smiled. “I just got to watch you beat the shit out of some woman, I’m perfect!”

Waverly rolled her eyes and huffed. She shoved Nicole in her shoulder and pushed away from her. “Babygirl, what was that about?”

“Oh, Nicole and I have a standing agreement if one of us is being harassed or can’t get in to the hospital, we just pretend to be girlfriends. Works every time.”

“Uh huh, whatever you say.” Wynonna just stared at the two of them.

“Look, as much fun as this is, I’m heading back to the apartment. Y’all are more than welcome to join me but I can’t do this bar shit anymore. Plus, I want a beer.” Nicole said as she stood up and headed for the door. 

“I agree. I’m over this too.” Waverly headed off with her as did the rest of the women at the table.   
\----------------------

As the night went on the women soon found themselves talking about their families and how they got to where they are now. They were all laying back and drinking beers. 

“My parents are rich. I have a brother Tucker and a sister Beth. Both of them are quite useless, insistent on living off our parents. I just couldn’t do it. I wasn’t born to live in our parents’ shadows. So, I told my father that I wanted to be an architect instead of going for the family business. He was pissed! Cut me out of the will kind of pissed. Things have mellowed out now that I am actually succeeding at it but it was rough.” Mercedes shared. 

“I had a very close relationship with my parents until I came out as gay at 16. They disowned me. I was living in an LGBT shelter in Redding. I had been friends with Nicole for years. Henry came in one day to check the sprinklers for Mr. Roaday. He knew I was one of Nicole’s best friends. I hadn’t told Nicole where I was staying, only that I couldn’t have her over anymore. When he saw me there, he was heartbroken. You could see it on his face. He told me to get my stuff. I didn’t have anything. He took me home. Later that week he came in with official adoption papers. Henry and Ester had gone to have a talk about my parents letting me come back but apparently during that time, they said something Henry and Ester didn’t like so Henry told them he was taking me in and he’d have papers drawn up to release them of their parental rights.” Rosita softly told her story. Chrissy wrapped her arms around Rosita, kissing her cheek.

“My parents are great but push me to be someone I’m not.” Rachel said. 

“Like what?”

“I don’t want to be some music prodigy. I just want to be a kid and enjoy college.”

“Well, we love you, Smalldez.”

“Thanks, Earp.”

“My mom died when I was in 8th grade. Dad has been great since though. He really is the best dad for being a single father working as a fire fighter. Makes for some lonely nights but he’s always there when he can be.” Chrissy confessed. 

“Our dad killed our mom and sister while he tried to kill us.” Wynonna admitted, taking a swig of her beer. “I killed him when he tried to kill Babygirl. It’s been her and I since then, huh Baby  
girl?” 

“Always you and I, Nonna. Always.” Wynonna gave Waverly a soft smile as a tear slid down her cheek. 

“I didn’t know my parents until 4 months ago...” Eliza finally spoke up. “That’s why we....”

“Shhhh!” Rosita covered Eliza’s mouth. 

“No, it’s ok. I want them to know.” Eliza let out a heavy sigh. “Henry and Gus adopted me when I was 14 or something like that. I had been in foster care my whole life but had managed to stay within the same school district so I never got separated from the girls. My actual family. I had never been more happy then when I walked into the house I had spent so much time as, know  
ing I was never going to have to leave. Henry and Ester tracked down my biological parents to here. That’s why we picked Northwestern so that I could meet them and get to know them. Kate, Nicole and Liz didn’t want me to be alone so they came with me. Nic eats the blame for it but it was me who brought us here.”

“Y’all are like walking Hallmark movies. I swear.” Wynonna snickered. 

“Y’all know my story. Parents died when I was 16. Henry and Ester took me in.” Kate shrugged and went back to eating her food. Everyone looked to Nicole to see if she was going to join. 

Waverly put her hand on Nicole’s thigh and leaned to her. “You don’t have to do this, Cole. You don’t need to relive it.”

Nicole simply shook her head and grabbed Waverly’s hand, holding it tightly. “Much like Rosie, I had a very close relationship with my parents. Until I was 12 and I told my mom that I thought Alex was cute. She thought Alex was a boy. I told her no, Alex is a girl. She told my father who proceeded to send me off to conversion therapy for 4 months. There, I was told I was worthless. That my parents thought I was worthless. That no one would love me if I were gay. That no one could ever love someone as sinful as me. I was told that I would never have a meaningful relationship. That I’d burn in Hell. Heard it every day for 4 months. Every. Damn. Day.” Waverly gave Nicole’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Pops caught wind of where I was. He was pissed. He pulled me out of there and brought me home. My parents had officially kicked me out of the house at 12 years old. Grandma and Pops took me in without ever questioning whether I was gay or not. When I confirmed it to Grandma...”

“You mean when we got caught making out in your bedroom...” Kate smiled at the memory.

“Yes, when we got caught making out in my bedroom, I expected the same results. That they would disown me and I would be on my own again. Instead, Grandma threw me a coming out party. Complete with rainbow streamers. I’m grateful for the people and life I have now.” Nicole looked towards Waverly. “Hey, do you mind helping me change my bandage?”

“No. Not at all.” The two got up and headed into Nicole’s bedroom. Nicole grabbed the medical supplies she needed and brought it over to Waverly. As she handed Waverly the gauze, their hands grazed against each other and lingered just a bit longer than either thought was allowed. “Sorry, I just needed away for a second.”

“Hey, don’t apologize to me for needing to breath. I can head out for a second if you need.”

“No. I...I’d like if you’d stay.” Nicole sat on the edge of the bed. “Thank you for getting that lady off of me tonight. I just kind of froze.”

“I saw that. I could tell you were uncomfortable with it. Though, she’s attractive. Why not go for her?” Waverly asked, running her hand through her hair. 

“She was pretty but...” Nicole had never been one to shy away from these types of questions but for some reason, with Waverly being the one asking, she was nervous as hell. 

“But what?”

Nicole looked Waverly in the eyes, biting her own bottom lip. “She isn’t the one I want...”

Waverly leaned a bit forward, their lips ghosting each other. “And who is it that you want?”

Nicole pulled away and cleared her throat. “Better get this thing changed.” She pulled off her shirt and bra, crossing her arms over her chest and she sat back down on the bed. Waverly softly pulled the old bandage from Nicole’s skin and placed the new one down. She placed a kiss to the right side of it, like she always did when she changed it. Nicole closed her eyes at the contact of Waverly’s lips against her skin. “Mmm.” Nicole softly let out without realizing.

“Never gotten that response from you.” Waverly chuckled and started to massage Nicole’s shoulders. “God damn, Cole, you’re so tense. Lay down. Let me get these knots out.”

“I’m o...”

“I swear to god, if you tell me you’re ok one more time, Nicole Haught, I will walk out that door and never step foot in this apartment again, got it?”

Nicole’s eyes widened at Waverly’s boldness and she simply nodded and laid face down on the bed. Waverly straddled Nicole’s butt and began to gently rub out her muscles. “Thanks Waves.”

“Of course. And thank you for trusting us enough to tell us your past.”

“It’s my truth. It’s what made me.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that to get to this point though.” Waverly pressed her thumb into a knot in Nicole’s back, causing a moan to ripple throughout Nicole’s body. Waverly pulled her bottom lip into her mouth as her lower area clinched. It was so much that Nicole could feel it on her backside and smiled. “What do you want to do after every leaves?”

“I don’t know. Movie night?”

“Yeah. Only if there is popcorn.”

“Of course there is popcorn, what kind of monster do you think I am?”

“What are we to watch tonight?”

“Well, I don’t know any of your favorite movies so I guess I can suggest somethings. Now and Then, If Only, A League of Their Own, Hidden Figures. Honestly, I’m up for anything.”

“I’ve never seen If Only. What’s it about?”

“It’s sad and I don’t want to ruin it for you but it’s an amazing love story.”

“Done. Let’s watch it.”

“If you cry, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Nicole snickered. 

“Let me go check on everyone and then I can continue that massage, ok?”

“Sounds great, Waves.”

Waverly slid off Nicole’s back and walked into the living room, finding everyone had left. She picked her phone up off the couch and saw a text from Chrissy stating that everyone had heard Nicole moan so they decided to give them some privacy but that her and Chrissy would be having a talk later. Waverly couldn’t control her laughter. “Cole, listen to this!” She read it out loud to Nicole, who too, started to laugh uncontrollably.

“Whoops.”

Waverly straddled Nicole’s back again and started to rub lotion all over Nicole’s back now that most of the cuts were healed up. Waverly put lotion in her hand, blowing on it to warm it up. She gently applied it. “How does this feel, Cole?”

“Mmm. Absolutely amazing.”

Waverly continued on Nicole’s back for a while. After a bit they put on the movie. Waverly laid against Nicole’s side, having given in to crying over a half ago. Nicole shushed her, trying to her best to comfort the woman. “Hey, Waves?”

“Yeah, Cole?”

“I really like having you here.”

“I really like being here.”

“I was wondering, since you spend so much time here already, would you, maybe wanna move in with me” I have the extra bedroom and I know you feel safe here and I only want you to feel safe. If you don’t want to, I completely understand but I just want you to feel the best. No matter where or who that’s with, Waves.”

“Nicole”

“Yeah”“  
:”  
I would love too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes, Waves, could you be thirsting anymore?
> 
> Snacky Snacks: Sunflower seeds. Drink: Sparkling Cider. 
> 
> Follow me on Twitter @theysoundgay or Curious Cat @thatsoundsgay. 
> 
> Way too tired to put up the fic of the chapter. Will have two next time.


	16. Sisterly bond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole and Rosita help Waverly move  
> Wavnonna gets to spend some time together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, here we are. another installment of the circus dancing around in my head. i really shouldn't be allowed to write these things so late at night. I literally have one eye open haha.

The weekend was long with practices and packing Waverly’s dorm room up. Chrissy was sad to see Waverly go but knew that it was for the best for her best friend. She sat on the couch in the almost empty room, sipping on a soda with Waverly. 

“Waves, what is going on between you and Nicole? What was with that moan?”

Waverly just started to laugh. “She had a knot in her shoulder and so I was giving her a massage and apparently it went better than I thought.” 

“So, nothing is going on between you two?”

“Nope. Just becoming really good friends.” Waverly sighed. “She’s also helping me through this thing with Champ. I just don’t feel safe anywhere where she’s not and that’s no disrespect to you, I just don’t know what it is.”

“She’s the one who saved you, Waves. It makes perfect sense that you would feel safe with her. I don’t take that personally .What I take personally is you becoming better friends with her than me.” Chrissy smiled wide.

“Don’t worry, Chrissy, I could and would never replace you. We’ve known each other for how long?”

“Since I was four and you were two.”

“Exactly!” The two women watched as Nicole and Rosita continued to move boxes out, both insisting that the two women sit down and relax. They’d handle it. “You seem to be getting pretty serious with Rosita. How is that going?”

“She’s so amazing, Waves.” Chrissy smiled from ear to ear, unable to contain her excitement when talking about Rosita. “I’m so in love with her.”

“Wow, that IS big. Have you told her?”

“Not yet but soon. Our 6 month anniversary is coming up. It’s so crazy that it’s been six months since we met the four of them, isn’t it?”

“And I wasted 4 months being a bitch to Nicole.” Waverly’s face hung low as she reminded herself of how horrible she had been. 

“Hey, the important thing is that you two have a great relationship now.”

“Yeah, but we could have had this the whole time had I not...ugh.”

“Can I ask you an question? One you don’t have to answer if you’re not comfortable.”

“Of course.”

“Are you in love with Nicole?”

Before Waverly could answer, Nicole and Rosita walked into the room. Both were covered in sweat and grime much to Chrissy and Waverly’s delight. “Hey girls. Everything is all loaded and ready to go.” Nicole stated as she grabbed a water for herself and Rosita. Both drinking the whole bottle in one drink. 

Chrissy leaned over to Waverly, admiring the two women in front of them. Both of them were in tight blue jeans, black Converse and dark blue tank tops that showed off every curve of their bodies. Nicole had her usually beanie, this one black with her hair flowing down her shoulders. Rosita had black bandana. “Could they be anymore hot?”

“I don’t think so.” Waverly whispered back. Waverly looked down at the time. “Oh shit. We have to go. I promised Nonna that I would have sister time with her tonight.”

“Does that mean getting drunk and hooking up with someone?” Nicole laughed. 

“Unfortunately.” Waverly sighed. 

“Well, if you need rescuing, let me know.” Nicole smiled and held a hand out to Waverly, who gladly took it. Nicole pulled her to her feet with ease, the two standing just inches a part. “Don’t...” Nicole stopped herself mid-sentence much to Waverly’s confusion.

“Don’t what?”

Nicole cleared her throat, stepped away, rubbing the back of her neck. “Nothing. We...we uh should get going.” She quickly walked out of the room, towards the truck.

“What the hell was that about?” Rosita questioned as she helped Chrissy up from the couch, her arm instantly finding it’s way around the woman’s waist. Chrissy placed her hand on Rosita’s chest and shrugged. 

“Hell if I know.” Waverly headed out of the room. “You two will be happy. Having this place all to yourself.” Waverly winked at the two. 

“You bet your ass we will.” Chrissy playfully smacked Rosita for her comment. Waverly climbed into the front seat of Nicole’s truck with the other two climbing in the back.

“Thank you three for helping me. I really appreciate it.” Waverly’s tone was so sincere that the other three women couldn’t help but smile. 

“Of course, Waves, we love you.”

“I’d do anything to you.” Nicole said.

“For her?” Chrissy questioned with wide eyes.

“Huh? Uh yeah that too.” Her face went deep red and she gringed at the words that just came out of her mouth. She quickly turned on the truck and blasted the radio. She made eye contact with Rosita in her review mirror and blushed even harder. As hard as it was for her, she had promised Waverly she wouldn’t flirt with her and that was a promise she intended to keep, come hell or high water.   
\-----------------------

After a couple hours of putting Waverly’s things in her new bedroom, Waverly walked into Wynonna’s dorm and slumped down onto the bed. She was tired. Not physically but mentally and she needed to open up to her sister about what was going on.

“Babygirl! You made i...why do you look like I just kicked your puppy again?”

“I knew you kicked the dog when we were kids!”

“Hey, it was an accident! I went to kick the soccer ball and she ran right in front of me and I couldn’t stop!”

“Fine. I forgive you.” Waverly wrapped her arms around herself, trying to feel safer. “Nonna, I need to talk to you about something.”

“This sounds serious.”

“It is and I really need you to take it seriously, please?”

“Of course. What’s going on?” Wynonna handed Waverly a beer and sat down next to her. 

“I’ve been dealing with something since I got here.”

“I know. I can tell.”

“ I know you can.”

“What’s going on, Waverly?”

“The moment I met Nicole Haught, things started to change for me, Nonna. Like really change, in a way that I can’t explain. And those changes scare me. They scare me so fucking much, Nonna.” Waverly’s tone started to become high pitched, like she usually got when she was about to have a panic attack.

“Hey, calm down, it’s just you and I, ok?” Wynonna wrapped a loving arm around her sister’s shoulder and pulled her close, kissing her forehead. 

“I’ve never had to deal with this before or even the idea of dealing with this. It’s scary and I don’t know what to do.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Nonna, I fear that I may be gay...” Waverly looked down in shame. 

“What?” Wynonna sat up, shock plastered across her face. “Where is this even coming from, Waves? I thought you were strictly dickly, never realized you thought tacos were tasty.”

“I met Nicole and all these feelings started. Feelings that I can’t explain away. I tried and all that did was cause me to lash out at Nicole for no reason whatsoever. And then Nicole saved me and I saw her, truly saw her and...I think I might be in love with her, Nonna. And I have no idea how to deal with that at all. Like...I’ve never even kissed her, how could I be in love with her?”

“You can fall in love with someone’s personality, Waves. I mean her body probably helps cuz she’s smokin! I’d do her too.”

“Nonna!”

“Sorry but it’s true. She’s beautiful. Fuck, all four of those bitches are. But seriously, of course you’ve fallen in love with her. It’s obvious.”

“Is it really?”

“You try and stay in contact with her at all times, physical contact. I don’t know if you noticed or not but you always gravitate towards her and you always have to be touching her. Whether it’s your thighs by sitting by each other or arms, whatever. You are always touching.”

“Oh god, you’re right! Oh no, have others noticed?” Waverly covered her mouth. 

“Of course. We’ve all talked about it. Especially after the whole moaning thing the other night.”

“I gave her a massage! That’s it!”

“A massage with your tongue!”

“Ew, Nonna...”

“Yeah, I regretted it as soon as I said it.” Wynonna shook her head in disgust at her own words. 

“What do I do?” Waverly asked with a heavy sigh. Wynonna smiled sweetly at her sister. 

“You tell her, Waves. Confess it with a big ass kiss.”

“And what if she ends up dying or leaving?”

“Wow, calm down. It’s just a date. Get a date and see if you guys mesh.”

“I could ask her out. Would that be weird?”

“Never, Babygirl. I think you need to get just be straight forward with her. Well as straight as two lesbians can be.”

“Ugh! I hate this! Why her?” Waverly whined, slumping into the crease of the couch. 

“Because she’s amazing, duh. That girl is so nice it’s really disgusting. And Waves, I see the way she looks at you. She totally feels the same way.”

“But we’re friends and teammates. What happens if we date and it ends badly. How can she be my catcher? What then?”

“For one, if you two broke up, it would never end badly. You are two of the nicest people I have ever met. Deal with your feelings and just tell her, Waves. What’s the worst that could happen? She could say not interested. Right?”

“True.”

“Then take the shot. Can’t hit a home-run within swinging the bat, em I right?”

Waverly muled over what her sister had just told her to do. It was a hard decision, one that was making Waverly super nervous again. Her feelings were valid but she really didn’t want to ruin things between herself and Nicole seeing as she had just started a friendship with her plus summer was only a month away. Waverly sighed and downed her beer before starting another. It was going to be a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOO! She gay!
> 
> Next Chapter: The team has some decisions to make.
> 
> Hit me up on twitter @theysoundgay<\----I post my custom wynonna earp funko pops that i make here or curious cat @thatsoundsgay<\---this one i will answer every single question 100% honestly. 
> 
> Next on your "Mandatory Pandemic Reading list" is...."Girl in a Country Song" by postscript8. Loved this so much. Enjoy yall.


	17. Nightmares and workouts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly has another nightmare  
> Wayhaught work out together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Long time no see! So, finals are coming up so I won't be updating as much over the next couple of weeks. Sorry for the lack of updates. I got partially furloughed from my job so I just wasn't feelin' much at the moment. But alas, I pulled my head out of my ass and here we are. Hope yall had a happy and safe Thanksgiving(if you're American) or a happy and safe week.

Nicole awoke to a scream from the other room. She instantly shot up in bed as Waverly stumbled to her door, softly knocking. Without words, Nicole held up the blankets and Waverly slid into bed with Nicole. Nicole dropped the blankets over Waverly, her arm slipped around her protectively, pulling her as close to her as she could in her sleepy state. 

“Shhh. I’m here. I got you.” Nicole softly mumbled. Waverly nuzzled her face into Nicole’s chest, tightly gripping on to the sports bra Nicole had fallen asleep in. “Another nightmare?” Waverly just nodded. “Can I do anything to help?”

“Just stay, please?”

“Of course, Waves. I’d do anything for you.” Nicole’s voice was like a relaxing wave, washing over Waverly, instantly calming her. “You get some sleep. I’ll stay awake and make sure you’re ok.”

“No, Cole. Sleep, please?”

“Only once I know you’re ok.”

Waverly, in her drunken tired state, nuzzled into the side of Nicole’s neck. “Mmm. You smell so good, Cole.”

Nicole’s eyes lit up as she could have sworn she felt soft lips pressed against her neck. She smiled from ear to ear having convinced herself that she was just too tired to know the difference but she didn’t care. Real or not, that feeling meant the world to Nicole.

Nicole alarm went off just a couple hours later. 5:00 AM. She had never missed a workout but looked down at the woman sleeping in her arms, she knew she couldn’t leave her. Grabbing her phone, Nicole sent a message off to her friends. 

Haught Potato:  
Won’t be making our workout this morning.

Lizitch:  
Are you feeling ok? You have never missed a workout.

Cum and get it:  
Yeah, even when you had the flu and shit your pants on the jog.

Haught Potato:  
Come on now! We agreed to never mention that again!

Roses are red:  
I’m fine with skipping today. Chrissy says thank you.

Haught Potato:  
*Attached was a photo of Waverly snuggled down on Nicole’s chest.* She had a rough night.

Cum and get it:  
Are you serious?!? I couldn’t get you to skip a workout for sex and you’re willing to skip a workout to cuddle?! You hate cuddling!”

Haught Potato:  
#hateditwithyou. I happen to love cuddling with Waverly.

Cum and get it:  
#rudeassexgirlfriends

Lizitch:  
Nightmares have been getting worse huh?

Haught Potato:  
Only when she’s not sleeping in my bed, yeah.

Lizitch:  
Amazing.

Haught Potato:  
What is?

Lizitch:  
How whipped you are and you aren’t even dating the girl.

Haught Potato:  
Is that so? Care to tell the room what’s going on between you and Wynonna? Huh, Eliza?

Lizitch:  
Nothing is going on between us!

Cum and get it:  
That why you changed you username to the nickname she calls you? Hmmmm?

Lizitch:  
Well, fuck...

Haught Potato:  
Gonna be interesting to see which one of you wears the pants in that relationship. Two strong minded, stubborn as fuck women like yourselves, it’ll be interesting to see where that goes.

Roses are red:  
Are you still planning to drive to the game this weekend, Nic?

Haught Potato:  
Yeah, I’m all caught up on my classes and my professors are super chill with spring break this week. So I’m leaving directly after class tomorrow. 12.5 hour drive but I’ll stop halfway and sight-see and drive the rest the next day. I’ll have a couple days before heading back. Y’all wanna drive with me?

Cum and get it:  
Fuck that. 12 hours in a car with you, I’ll kill you.

Lizitich:  
....I already promised Wynonna I would drive with her, Chrissy and Rosita.

Haught Potato:  
What about Waves?”

Lizitch:  
I assumed she’d be with us or on the plane with the rest of the team.

Haught Potato:  
I’ll ask her if she wants a ride.

Cum and get it:  
Oh sweetie, I’m sure she does! She wants in your pants so bad.

Haught Potato:  
Not what I meant and you know it!

Cum and get it:  
Doesn’t make it any less true.

Nicole was pulled from her conversation as Waverly stirred. “Mmm, babe, get off your phone please? Talk to them later.” She mumbled in her sleep. Nicole smiled and set her phone aside, cuddling down with Waverly some more.  
\-----------------------

As daybreak broke through the window, Waverly yawned softly and rubbed her cheek against the soft breast below her face. Shock over took Waverly, her eyes shot open and she stopped. ‘What the hell are you doin, Earp? Are you fucking crazy?’ She casually rolled off of Nicole and laid on her side. 

“Morning, Waves.” Nicole spoke as she stretched out, cracking and popping.

Waverly rolled back over so she was facing Nicole. “Sorry about the cuddling. Wynonna always said when I get nightmares I tend to cuddle and get a smidge affectionate.”

“Hey, I don’t mind. You’re like my own personal air conditioner. You’re body is always so cool.” Nicole said with a laugh.

Waverly giggled. “Yeah, I’m an ice box. You, on the other hand, are always so nice and toasty.”

“I am a very hot sleeper, that is for sure.”

“Speaking of, did you sleep ok? And wait, why are you out training?” Waverly had just noticed the time. Nicole was never late for practice and training.

“I took the morning off.” Nicole said with a simple shrug of her shoulder.

“Why would you do that?”

“Well, I had a certain someone that had a death grip on me. And I know you didn’t get much sleep last night so I didn’t want to disrupt your sleep last night.”

“You, Nicole “I have to stick to my schedule or I’ll die” Haught, gave up your schedule so I could sleep a little longer?” Waverly heart fluttered at the thought of her staying because she needed her. She couldn’t help but smile at Nicole. 

“You had a rough night. It’s not a big deal, Waves.” Nicole jumped out of bed and grabbed her jump rope. As she started to exercise, Waverly watched intently, taking in the beautiful sight before her. “You’re staring.” Nicole said between jumps, a smile floating across her lips. 

“Yes, yes I am.” Waverly admitted with a laugh. “I just can’t get over how in shape you are.”

“Pops is the reason for that.” Nicole stopped, dropping the rope in the basket she took it out of. Her body was glistening with sweat. “Now that you live with me, do you want to work out with me?”

Waverly really couldn’t turn the offer down. “Yeah, I think that would be fun.” Waverly slid off the bed and stood in front of Nicole. “Teach me your ways.” She threw her shoulders back and saluted Nicole. Nicole rolled her eyes and began to laugh. 

“Ok, ok, calm down killer.” Nicole laid on the ground, on her back. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Ok, so normal routine starts with jumping rope, then moving into sit-ups. 30 to be exact.”

Waverly laid down next to Nicole, getting into the same position. “Only 30?” Waverly said with a wink.

Nicole’s eyebrow arched and she smirked. “Ok, let’s make this interesting.”

“What do you have in mind?” Waverly teased as she turned her head to look at her friend. 

“If I win, you drive with me to Oklahoma. If you win, you stay in the ‘fun’ car, as Liz put it.”

“And what if I want to ride with you anyways?”

“Then I guess you better let me win.”

Waverly rolled her eyes and counted to 3. The two of them started slow, each one curling up and then back down, up and down. But Waverly soon picked up the pace and was at least four sit-ups ahead of Nicole. 

“No fair, you have a shorter torso, don’t have to bring as much up.” Nicole groaned through her sit-ups.

“Always got an excuse for losing, huh Cole?” Waverly kept going, sweat starting to drip down her brow. By the end of it, Nicole had tapped out at 49 sit-ups. Waverly, on the other hand, had 59 sit-ups.

They both laid on the ground, huffing and puffing, pulling in as much air as they could. “You set me up, didn’t you?” Nicole laughed. 

“You never asked my workout routine. Not my fault you decided to pick a fight with me for the one workout I excel at.” Waverly jumped to her feet, lifting her shirt to show off her own impressive set of abs. “Can’t get abs like these laying around all day.” She turned to walk out the door before glancing back at Nicole. “Also, I’m riding you...with you! With you! I’m riding with you. Oh god. I’mma shut up now.” Waverly turned to walk out the door but ran into the door frame instead. “Who put that there?” She said as she scrambled out of Nicole’s room and into her own. She shut the door, leaning back against it and letting out a long sigh. ‘Smooth, Earp. Real smooth.’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Wayhaught road trip
> 
> "Mandatory Pandemic Reading List": Call me friend but keep me closer by Withat. Nice read. check it outttttt. 
> 
> Follow me on twitter @theysoundgay (you can check out my crazy Wynonna Earp figures on there) or if you have questions for me you can ask me on Curious Cat @thatsoundsgay. Or facebook, youtube, whatever the hell ya kids do these days.


	18. Road Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wayhaught Road Trip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, look, This is a 4 installment series. Sophomore year will be starting directly after freshman. Yes, slow burn. super slow burn. possible burn into the next installment. yes, this may cost me readers but it is what I had planned from the start. I am only bringing it up now because I can see that people are wanting it really badly. Please note that it will come at the most perfect time for them. trust me. But! if you don't want to continue reading, then I totally understand and I thank you for sticking around until now.

Nicole stood at the end of her bed, rolling her t-shirts into her jeans and setting them inside her suitcase. Thoughts of the morning’s events kept playing through her head. Waverly’s abs. Waverly talking about riding Nicole. Waverly running into the doorjam. The last thought got a very dimpled grin out of Nicole. Everything had happened so fast that Nicole hadn’t had time to react. The second she saw Waverly’s body, her brain shutdown. She couldn’t get it moving again. She couldn’t process what was happened until Waverly had already left the room. 

As excited as she was to spend the next couple days with Waverly, she was extremely nervous. She had never had a woman cause her to act the way she was. She had never had a woman cause her brain to shut off and she had never wanted a woman as much as she wanted Waverly Earp. And it honestly terrified her. Waverly made her feel things that she had never felt and she needed to figure out how to deal with those feelings before she got hurt again.

A soft knock on the door came from behind her. She turned on her heels and opened the door to find Eliza and Rosita outside of it. “What are you two doing here?”

“Figured we would help you pack!” Rosita said as she pushed her way into the bedroom. She started shoving stuff into Nicole’s bag. And then started searching for something.

“What are you looking for?” Nicole questioned. 

“You’re vibrator! Can’t leave home without that!” Without warning, a pillow smashed Rosita in the side of the face. “Ow!

“Get out. Both of you.” Nicole gave a carefree laugh. “I need to finish packing so I can throw everything in the truck and be ready to leave tomorrow.”

“Where are you going to stop?” Eliza sat on the end of the bed with a bounce as she plopped down. 

“We both know where I’m stopping.” Nicole stated as she went back to organizing her bag.

“Is grandpa gonna be upset at that?” Eliza poked around in Nicole’s bag, knowing where she kept her snacks. She pulled out one of the peanut butter power bars and started eating it.

“He’s my uncle, Liz. I haven’t seen him in 4 years.”

“And he knows you’re gay?”

“Yes. He knows I’m gay.”

“And wants to see you anyways?”

“Yes. Uncle Eric has never judged me the way my parents have but when my parents disowned me, Pops wanted me to give up everyone on that Alliester side of the family, that’s why I took on Pops last name.”

“Wait, you’re not an original Haught?”

“No. My name is...well was, Nicole Rayleigh Alliester. When grandma and grandpa adopted me, I took on my mom’s maiden name, Haught. Pops didn’t want me having anything from the people who abandoned me.”

“Look at us still learning things about you after all these years.”

Rosita reached into Nicole’s bag and stole an apple-cinnamon power bar, pulling back the wrapper and taking a hefty bite. “Yoshh nerboush?”

“Am I what? For the love of God, will you two stop eating my snacks?”

“Nopshh.” Rosita attempted to say with a mouth full of power bar. 

“She asked if you’re nervous about driving with Waverly.”

Nicole nodded her head and sighed. “Yeah, more than I thought I’d be. Ugh, she makes me so nervous.”

“You really gotta figure this thing out with her, Nic.”

“Look, her and I are just starting to build our friendship. I do not want to do anything to make her uncomfortable or scare her off. We just started getting passed the her hating me thing. I don’t even know if she’s gay. As far as I know she’s straight and until she tells me otherwise, I won’t flirt with her or try anything. Just having her in my life is good enough if that’s all I can get. I respect her too much to put her through anything again. She’s already been through enough this year.”

“You’re really not going to put any moves on her? She so obviously wants you, Nic!” Eliza tried to explain to her friend. 

“Doesn’t matter. Last time I flirted with her, she pulled away. I’m not going to risk that. Her and I have a really great thing going right now. When she’s ready, I’m hoping she’ll tell me.”

Rosita sighed in annoyance. “You two are the most useless lesbians I have ever come across.”  
\---------------------------

Waverly stood on the back of the truck bed, pulling in their gear and luggage that Nicole was handing up to her. Waverly packed everything in tightly, running a ratchet strap around all the bags. “You ready?”

“As long as you don’t mind my horrible singing, yup! I’m ready.” Nicole held her arms out to help Waverly out of the truck. Waverly placed her hands on Nicole’s shoulders and Nicole’s hands slipped onto Waverly’s hips, easily lifting her out of the truck. Waverly couldn’t help but smile at the feeling of Nicole’s hands on her hips. Nicole gently sent Waverly on the ground and smiled her biggest dimpled smiled that made Waverly’s heart flutter. Both women loaded into the truck. Nicole was driving and Waverly was in charge of the radio. In about 4 hours, they would switch but for now, both were content on their positions in the car. 

“So, Cole, this your first long trip with someone that’s not family?”

“Actually, yes.” Nicole laughed. “You’re my first. Poppin that road-trip cherry.” Waverly rolled her eyes and laughed. 

“You’re ridiculous, you know that?”

“I hear that every day of my life.” Nicole laughed even more. “How ‘bout you?”

“Oh, no. I’ve traveled a lot with friends.”

“That’s awesome! Where all have you gone?”

“I think the list is shorter of where we haven’t gone. I’ve been to Bali, Africa, Japan, most of Europe.”

“What the hell? That’s so fucking cool! God, I wish I could travel. It just never seems to be able to happen with our interships.”

“That’s really what you want to do? You really love it?”

Nicole glanced at Waverly and nodded before turning her eyes back to the road. “Have you ever woke up one day and just had this urge to know why you were here? What you’re purpose is?”

“Yeah, almost every day.”

“I had that moment when I was 14. I couldn’t understand it. I didn’t understand what it meant. I asked Pops and he explained it. Opened my eyes to what I was meant to do.”

“If you could travel, where would you go?”

“Ireland.” Nicole answered so fast that Waverly was shocked. Waverly laughed.

She reached over and twirled Nicole’s hair in her fingers. “Gotta go meet the familiy?” Waverly teased. 

“Actually, yes. Mom’s family is there. Have a few cousins I’ve been in contact with on Facebook, that I would love to hang out with. And you? Anywhere you dream of going?”

“Egypt. But I’ll be there this summer.”

“You’re going to Egypt for the summer?!?”

“Yeah, it’s for school actually.”

“What are you even studying?” Nicole chuckled. “I’ve never asked you.”

“Anthropology and Ancient Languages.”

“Oh wow. How many languages can you speak?”

“6 fluently, 4 more in the process.”

Nicole sighed dramatically and shook her head. “I’m in the car with a genius. No one told me I was going to be traveling with a genius.”

“I’m not a genius. Just a girl who loves history.”

“You’re favorite time period?”

“Middle Ages, honestly. And anything to do with Greece.” Waverly clutched her hand to her heart and got a very dreamy look on her face. “Anything to do with Greek Gods gets my motor going.”

“Hm, good to know. I am a fan of the Early Middle Age. Specifically, the Viking Age.”

“Why is that?”

“I am decedent of Vikings on my dad’s side. We still have family in Scandinavia. My great uncle and cousins live over there. So, while I respect the Greek Gods, I follow the laws of the Norse Gods.”

“Like the traditional Norse Religion? That’s so cool. So, you believe in the Aesir, Vanir and Jotnar gods?”

“You’ve heard of them all, have ya?” Nicole laughed. “No surprise. Damn genius.”

“Is it just you or do all of you believe in it?”

“Rosie and Liz follow Norse Religion. Katie...well she’s a different story altogether.”

“What made you follow Norse?” Waverly grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler in the backseat and opened it, handing it to Nicole who gave her a thankful look. She grabbed another one for herself, taking a long drink. 

“You stop believing in God when your parents disown you and use Him as an excuse. I couldn’t continue to follow a religion knowing there is so much hate behind it. And no, I’m not saying everyone who follows is a bad person but I believe the higher ups don’t do enough to protect their at-risk followers.”

“I can understand that. I come from a very big religious family in Purgatory.”

“You live in a town called Purgatory? No wonder you’re religious.” Nicole teased. 

“You’d love it there, Cole. It’s in Canada. It’s so pretty when it snows.”

“ I do love snowboarding.”

“What can’t you do?”

“Basketball. I suck at basketball.” Nicole let out a loud laugh and then became serious. “You ever been in love, Waves?”

Waverly ran her hand through her long hair and shook her head no. “Nope. How about you? Did you love Kate?”

“I did. Very much. I thought I was going to marry her.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. We had talk about it. We were going to get married right out of highschool.”

“What happened?” Waverly shifted in her seat so she was facing Nicole more.

“Had different ideas, I guess. She didn’t want to go into college tied down. I wanted nothing but to be married to her. Took a long time for me to get over her and what she did but I forgive her. We’re best friends and she’s still in my life and that’s all that matters to me.”

“What’s it feel like to be in love?” Waverly asked honestly and genuine. 

“Do you honestly want me to answer that?”

“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t.”

“Ok. It’s a hard question but I think I have a quote from one my favorite lesbian actresses that can explain it the best.” Nicole took a deep breath. “Yes. That's what it feels like to love someone. Yes. Loving someone makes you feel like you can say yes to the world. And not just because you can but because you really don’t have a choice. You can do anything. You can try anything. Yes and letting that someone in so much that they are apart of you, like they are always there. You can feel their touch and hear their voice and see that crazy smile that lights up your day. Its like you can't stop saying yes and more please. You just can't get enough of them in life and in everything. And your stomach, it turns over and over.” Nicole took a deep breath, continuing. “But you do lose your self. You do. Loving someone makes you feel like you can say I love you, knowing that they might not say it back and it makes you say I want to touch you, knowing you don't know what comes next. But that's the greatest part, the rush, the high. You're taking a chance. You say yes, or you never hear those three words. You never have that kiss.”

Waverly had tears in her eyes as she heard Nicole speak but she willed herself not to let any escape. “You...you memorized that?”

Shyly, Nicole nodded. “Yes. It’s true. Its so true. Every word of that quote is true.”

“But how do you feel about love, Cole?”

“When I fall in love, Waves, I’m all in. That’s what loves means to me. And what about you? I know you haven’t been in love but I’m sure you’ve been close?”

“Yes, I have. And honestly, everything that I am goes into my relationships, Cole. If I’m in love with you, you get all of me. Every..ounce.”

“You..you don’t have to answer this but...you’ve never had sex, have you?”

“No. I haven’t.” Waverly had no shame in admitting that she was a virgin. It had been her choice to wait until marriage or at least until she found someone who deserved her. “I’ve had plenty of chances, I just...I don’t know. I’ve never found someone worth having sex with.” Waverly’s shoulders shrugged. “And you? Obviously with Kate but how many partners have you had?”

“Just her.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes, seriously. God, don’t sound so shocked.” Nicole snickered. “She was my first and my last. The last time I had sex was like 6 months ago in a stupid hook up with her.”

“That a normal thing for you two?”

“Nah. I mean it was for awhile after we broke up. I had to figure out how to cope with not having her anymore but now, now it doesn’t matter. I’m not a one-night stand kind of person. It’s impossible for me not to get feelings for someone I’m having sex with. That’s why I won’t hook up with her anymore.”

“Not a lot of people would give up sex just like that.”

“I’m not like a lot of people, Waves.”

Waverly nodded and smiled, leaning back, taking in all of this time she would get to spend with Nicole. They were an hour into the trip and Waverly couldn’t be happier with the decision to drive with her.  
\-------------------------------------------

“Cole, we’re 4 hours into this drive, are you sure you don’t want me to drive?”

“I’m good, Waves but can we crank up the road trip soundtrack a little? I need some jams.”

Waverly laughed and nodded. “What song do you want?”

“It’s stupid but it’s one I listen to every single road trip. Wonderwall.”

“I haven’t heard that song in forever!” Waverly quickly pulled it up on Nicole’s phone and started to play it. Nicole started to bob her head up and down, thumbs drumming on the steering wheel. She was already feeling it.

“And all the roads are winding, all the lights they’re blinding, There are many things I’d like to say to you, but I don’t know howwwww.” Nicole glanced at Waverly with a sly smile. “Because maybe, you’ll be the one that saves me. And after all, you’re my wonderwallllll.” Waverly listened to Nicole’s voice. She was amazing. Simply amazing. “Today was gonna be the day, but they’ll never throw it back to you. By now you should’ve somehow realized what you’re not to do. I don’t believe that anybody feels the way I do, about you now.”

“One of your favorite songs, I take it?” Waverly smiled as Nicole kept singing. Nicole simply nodded. Waverly had been in the car for 4 hours with Nicole and somehow, she found herself falling for her even more.  
\-------------------------------------------

It was around midnight, 7 hours into the drive to Oklahoma, when they pulled into the parking lot of an old saloon, in an older town. “This place looks a lot like Purgatory.”

“Yeah? Come on. I wanna show you around. This place has amazing food.”

“Are we even allowed in there?”

“My uncle owns it, it’s fine.” Nicole hopped out of the truck and made her way to Waverly’s side of the truck, opening the door for her. She offered her, her hand. Waverly smiled, placing her right hand in Nicole’s left, fingers gripping softly around her hand. She jumped out of the truck and the two headed inside the saloon. Nicole pushed the wood door open. A bunch of locals looked at her as she walked in and the man behind the bar smirked as he looked up, his rag slowly making circles on the already clean spot. 

“Well, look what the cat drug in. Long time no fucking see.” He turned his attention to the saloon. “This is my niece and her girlfriend, if you have a problem with them, you have a problem with me and you can get the fuck out of my bar!”

“Sh...she’s not my girlfriend, Uncle Eric.”

“Doesn’t matter. These shitheads now know not to fuck with my kin!” Eric yelled it a little louder just so everyone understood. He has bright red hair, just like Nicole’s but had a slight Irish accent. He walked around the bar and wrapped Nicole in tight hug. “It’s been far too long.”

“Yes it has.”

“Does Henry know you’re here?”

“No and I would like to keep it that way.”

“Your secret is safe with me, Nimwae.”

Nicole laughed at her nickname. She hadn’t heard it since she was a kid. “Why do you call me that?”

“Don’t remember much from when you were a kid, do you?”

“Unfortunately, no.” Nicole shook her head with a frown. 

“When you were a kid, you use to love being at the lake. You would swim for hours. One day, you didn’t come back. I went searching for you. You had swam out to an island in the middle of the lake but became too tired. When I found you, you were shivering. I asked what you were doing, you said...”

“I said I was the Lady of the Lake and that I would be fine.” Nicole interrupted with a smile that could light up a room. 

“Nimwae.” Eric beamed. “Now, introduce me to this lovely young lady.”

“Where are my manners? Waverly this is my uncle Eric. Uncle, this is Waverly. She’s our star pitcher.” Nicole bragged. “Just pitched a perfect game a few weeks ago!”

“No kidding!”

“Yes, sir. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Was Nimwae your catcher?”

“It was. She called one hellva game, sir.”

“Please, Eric. Sir makes me feel old.” Eric looked at the clock. “You two must be tired.”

“Yeah, we should get to our hotel.”

“Bullshit, Nimwae. You two can stay in the apartment upstairs. As long as you don’t mind sharing a bed.” Eric looked between the two girls with a sly smile. Nicole rolled her eyes. 

“No. We don’t mind. Thank you for your hospitality.”

“Anything for my favorite niece. Get some rest, we will catch up in the morning.” Eric handed Waverly a bottle of wine and two glasses. “On the house.”

Nicole headed back out to the truck, grabbing both of their travel bags, wheeling them upstairs into the apartment. Waverly was already sitting on the bed, the wine uncorked, both glasses full. She held one out to Nicole. Nicole smiled and took it. “Thank you.” 

“You’re uncle is amazing. And you two look so much alike.” Waverly sipped from her glass and smiled as she laid back. 

“Yeah, he’s good man. I wish it hadn’t been 4 years since I saw him last but when everything went down with my parents, Pops didn’t want me to be around any of that family but Eric is different from the rest.” Nicole downed her entire glass, the memories flooding back from the night her parents kicked her out. 

“Wow, calm down there. Don’t need a Haught drunk in my bed tonight.” 

Nicole’s brows came together, confusion setting on her face. Was Waverly flirting with her? “You could only be so lucky.” Nicole winked. Nicole set her glass next to the bed and fluffed her pillow behind her head before laying down. She looked over at Waverly, anxiety sitting in her chest realizing that she had flirted. ‘Fuck fuck fuck. You stupid shit. What are you thinking?’ Nicole yelled at herself. “Good night, Waves.” Nicole quickly rolled over to face away from Waverly.

Waverly put her hand on Nicole’s back. “Hey, is everything ok?”

“Y...yeah.” Nicole was starting to panic, her breaths rapid. Waverly laid on her side and wrapped an arm tightly around Nicole.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s ok. Just breath, Cole. Like you taught me.”

Nicole closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, calming her breathing. She focused on Waverly’s arm around her, her body pressed tightly against Nicole’s back and how Waverly just fit so perfectly against her. Nicole didn’t speak for the rest of the night, just laid there, enjoying the feeling of Waverly with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Oklahoma tournament
> 
> It's 3AM, I ain't got a recommendation for you right now. sorry lol.


	19. World Series Tourney

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole and Waverly make it to Oklahoma  
> First game of the World Series Tourney

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, well, well. what do we have here? I failed one of my classes. In honor of me sucking, here is the longest chapter known to man? well no, but its the longest of this installment lol. To make up for the massive slow burn, here is something to wet your whistles. :) Enjoy!

Nicole woke up just before 5AM. She was flat on her stomach, arm dangling off the edge of the bed. She felt a weight on her back, looking over her shoulder to see Waverly half laying on top of her, her face nuzzled against the back of Nicole’s neck. Even fast asleep, Waverly’s hand still slowly rubbed Nicole’s back in a soothing motion. 

Feeling Waverly’s breathing change, Nicole smiled. “Good morning, Waves.”

“Mmm, how long have you been awake?”

“Just a little while.”

Waverly rolled off of Nicole, Nicole instantly missing the contact of the smaller woman on top of her. “I’m sorry about last night...sometimes...I just get into my own head and...and I just can’t control the thoughts anymore.”

Waverly rolled onto her side and placed a hand on Nicole’s cheek. “I don’t know what’s going on in that head of yours and I don’t know what caused it but just know, you didn’t do anything wrong last night.”

“I...I didn’t?”

“No.” Waverly pulled her hand from Nicole’s cheek. “I’m assuming here, but did it happen because of what I previously asked you?”

“What do you mean?”

“About not flirting with me?” Nicole’s silence spoke for her. Waverly just nodded. “I see.” Waverly sat up and crossed her legs under her, sitting so she were facing Nicole. “Cole, I asked you that a long time ago. Before I truly got to know you. You aren’t like all those other people who flirt with me. You don’t do it to make me feel uncomfortable. You don’t do it to get in my pants. And you have done everything in your power to make sure you didn’t make me feel that way again.”

“I never wanted to make you feel that way, Waves. Ever. You don’t deserve to be uncomfortable around anyone but I would hate for it to be around me. In such a short amount of time, you’ve become one of my best friends, Waves.”

“I know and now I’m telling you it’s ok if you flirt, Cole. I know it’s just in fun and not meant to hurt me or make me feel uncomfortable.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Waverly. I much rather keep it this way.”

“Well I don’t like it. I don’t like seeing you stress out because you think I’m going to be mad. And honestly, that’s my own doing. I treated you so poorly that you have it in your head that I’m going to hate you. That’s a trust I broke and Nicole, I will spend every day trying to get that trust back if I have too. You mean the world to me, Cole. You’re my best friend too and I hate seeing you be so hard on yourself for simple mistakes. You put yourself down so fucking much and I hate it, Cole. You don’t deserve that! You don’t deserve to be treated that way by anyone. By you or me. I wish you could see what all of us see.”

Nicole just looked down, shaking her head. “And what would that be?”

“Just how fucking amazing you are, Nicole Haught.”

Nicole shook the thoughts from her head and jumped out of bed, her demeanor totally changed. “Come on! Get dressed. I’m cooking breakfast!” She was now full of enegery, thought Waverly could tell it was just a front and that Nicole was running from whatever issues she as dealing with. She ran around the room, grabbing clothes and slipped into the on-suite bathroom. Waverly let out a sigh and ran her hands through her hair. Waverly pulled on a pair of dark blue skinny jeans and a black tank top. She grabbed her brush, quickly combing out her hair before sweeping it up into a big messy bun. She was on vacation and didn’t need to impress anyone by getting made up, and honestly, it felt nice to finally not have to put on a front for anyone. Truth was, Waverly much rather just lounge around the house in jeans and a tank top. It was what she was comfortable in. And she was comfortable with Nicole and wanted her to see this side of her. The real side of her. 

Nicole walked out of the bathroom, adjusting the sleeves on her dark blue long sleeve shirt. The shirt she had on over it was a light grey shirt and was of Deadpool riding a unicorn in which Waverly couldn’t help but smile. She had on dark skinny jeans similar to Waverly’s and a dark blue beanie pulled tightly around her head. She slipped on her black and white checkered vans. Waverly couldn’t help but laugh.

“What are you laughing at?” Nicole looked up with a puzzled look. 

“Just at how gay you actually are.” Waverly laughed again. 

Nicole huffed. “Rude.” She then took in the sight before her and smiled, running her tongue along her bottom lip as she wiggled an eyebrow at Waverly. “You look great, Waves.”

Waverly walked over to Nicole and ran a fingertip down Nicole’s jawline, she then turned and sauntered away. “Awe, don’t get all huffy with me. You still look cute.” Waverly glanced back over her shoulder with a grin. “Come on. I believe you said you were cookin?”

“Oh, Waverly...” Nicole chewed on the inside of her bottom lip as she watched Waverly’s ass as she walked away with a sway.  
\-------------- 

Nicole walked into the bar’s kitchen and began pulling items out of the fridge. Waverly and Eric went to step into the kitchen but Nicole put her hand up. “Get out. Both of you.”

“Wow, wow, Nimwae, this is my kitch...”

“Don’t care.” Nicole interrupted. “I’m making breakfast. Now, out!”

Eric raised his hands in surrender. “Ok, ok. Calm down. I’ll just take Miss Waverly out to show her around the property.”

“Good. Breakfast will be done in an hour. Don’t be late.” Nicole mumbled as she bent over into the fridge to get items out. Eric and Waverly walked out of the kitchen and headed out back. 

“I don’t remember her being that pushy.” Eric laughed out. 

Waverly shook her head and laughed as well. “Depends on the situation. On the ball field, she is definitely like that but away.” Waverly had the biggest heart eyes Eric had ever seen. “Away from the field, she’s extremely gentle.”

“Do you have feelings for my niece?” Eric asked with a sly grin. 

“Ha! That’s where she gets it!” Waverly pointed at Eric. “God, you might as well be her dad.” Waverly laughed.

“Quit diverting the conversation, Waverly. Anyone with eyes can see that you care for her.”

Waverly sighed. “I do care for her. A lot, actually.”

“But...”

“But it’s complicated. What if we get in to this relationship and she can’t handle my job and me being away from months on end for digs? Or what if I can’t handle her being away on the front lines? It’s already hard enough watching her go out there and we’re not even dating. I can’t even imagine what it’s going to be like to fall in love with her and watch her walk away to go fight a fire and possibly never come back.”

“Oh, that girl still wants to be a fire fighter, like our old man huh?”

“Yes. And she’s amazing at it and I could never ask her not to be.”

“Sounds to me like you may already be in love with Nimwae.”

“Unfortunately, I think you’re right.” Eric could tell that Waverly was getting uncomfortable with the conversation. 

“So, Waverly, what are you in school for?”

“History and Ancient Languages, sir.”

“Very nice. What languages can you speak?” The two were headed for the back field. 

“French, Italian, Spanish, German, Latin, Greek and Hebrew. I am learning Icelandic, Georgian, Finnish and Irish Gaelic.”

“Why are you learning Gaelic?”

Waverly glanced back at the bar behind them with a soft smile on her face, her hands in her back pockets, as if trying to hide her embarrassment. “Cole mentioned in an interview a few years ago that her uncle had taught her to speak Gaelic and she planned to use it when she went to visit Ireland one day.”

“Oh. My. God. You’re learning Gaelic for my niece?!” Eric wrapped an arm around Waverly’s shoulder and pulled her into a side hug. “You are my new favorite person.”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

“Why is Nicole not allowed to see you?”

Eric let out a heavy sigh. “That is her parents doing. They treated that poor girl so badly. So badly that when my parents took custody of her, they wanted to protect her so they cut her off from all of our family. Any of us that were religious anyways. They didn’t want her to be exposed to anymore hatred from our family. I was one of them. I didn’t agree with her lifestyle at first. But please, believe me, Waverly, I love my niece more than life itself and I would die to protect her from ever feeling that kind of pain again. She is a great kid and I was a fool to follow my sister’s blind hatred. It took me a year after it happened to realize just how wrong they were. I left the church but by then it was too late. Mom and Dad had already cut us off from each other. I tried so hard to make it right but the damage had already been done. Not a day goes by that I don’t regret standing up for her.”

“What did they do to her?” Waverly asked hesitantly.

“After Nicole started to show signs of being gay, her parents started to treat her differently. They turned her brother and sisters against her, they constantly told her she was wrong, stupid, not worthy of anyone loving her. That no one would ever love her. She would never amount to anything. Pretty much every verbally abusive thing they could think of. That was when she was 8. I don’t think she remembers coming out to them that young. Then at 10, she did something, I can’t even remember. That’s when the physical abuse started. Her father tried to ‘beat the gay’ out of her. When she was 12, her father beat her within an inch of her life. The scars on the left side of her face, the one she tells everyone came from a dog bite?”

“Y...yeah?” Waverly was in tears. Her heart breaking at what Nicole had gone through as a child.

“Wasn’t a dog attack, that was from her father. She doesn’t remember that event at all. When she came too and was released from the hospital, Dad took her. I thought he was going to kill her father. I didn’t find out until a few months after it happened that it wasn’t a dog attack and that my brother-in-law had actually done it. That’s when I left the church. Please, Waverly, you can’t tell Nicole what really happened to her. If you truly love her, you can’t say anything to her.”

“Why not? She deserves to know!”

“Waverly! Think of all the pain you will cause that poor girl. She has finally moved on and she has an amazing family. Please, don’t make her relive this trauma.”

Waverly sighed and pushed her tears from her cheeks. “I won’t say anything but she deserves to know, Eric.”

“I know but it’s not our place to tell her.” Eric patted Waverly on the shoulder. “She’s really lucky to have you, you know.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes. She deserves someone to love her the way you do.”

“BREAKFAST!” Nicole yelled from the back of the bar. “Come on , you two!”

They headed back, Waverly trying to get her composure before heading into the bar. As they entered, Nicole’s smile faded and she quickly became concerned for Waverly. “Waves? Are you ok?”

Waverly smiled sweetly. She hugged Nicole so tight that Nicole couldn’t breath. “Only happy tears, I promise.”

Nicole absentmindedly pressed a kiss into Waverly’s hair as she rubbed her back, wanting nothing more than to protect the woman in her arms. “If Eric said anything to upset you, I’ll kill him myself.” Nicole narrowed her eyes at Eric. He put his hands up and shook his head. 

Waverly stepped away and smiled again. “No need for violence, love. Come on. Let’s see if you’re as good of a cook as you think you are.” Waverly grabbed a fist full of Nicole’s shirt, dragging her towards the kitchen. Nicole placed her hands on Waverly’s hips, trying to keep from falling as the smaller girl pulled her along. Nicole couldn’t help but smile.   
\----------------------- 

After breakfast, Eric took the girls out to the old barn out back. “I have a surprise for you, Nimwae. Something I’ve been holding on to for a very long time and I think it’s time you had it.”

“Uncle Eric, what are you talking ab....” As he pulled back the barn doors, Nicole jaw dropped and she cupped her mouth over her hand as happy tears started to fall down her face. “You...you still have her?”

“And now she’s yours.” Eric threw a set of keys at Nicole as she ran forward, running her hands ever so carefully over the gas tank of the Eagle’s Nest Harley Davidson. The bike was a medium metallic green with black smokey color over the top. The tank was cover a giant Celtic knot that formed a V from the front of the tank, ending in what looked a family crest knot on the top of the tank that was painted to look like stone. The bike was beautiful. Across the back fender laid a Celtic cross, painted the same was as the tank. On the front fender was three different knots. The first being the Shield knot. Nicole knew this to be used as protection, just like the one she wore on the side of her catcher’s helmet. The second was the Tree of Life knot and the third was Triple Spiral knot, which represented Sky, Land and Sea but Nicole always associated it with freedom as a child. 

Nicole excitedly grabbed Waverly’s hand. “Babe, look at this! Oh my god! I’ve dreamed of this bike since I was a kid!” She pulled Waverly over to the bike. “You...this...”

“You don’t need to say anything, Nimwae. This bike belongs to you. I knew ever since you were a child that I would give it to you one day and I think that time is now. Why don’t you guys come back on your way home, stop by and we will put it in the truck and you can take it with you, ok?”

Nicole couldn’t find the words to thank her uncle. She wrapped her arms so tightly around his neck, pulling him into the biggest hug. “I think what Cole means to say is thank you, Eric.” Waverly laughed. Eric did too as he nodded. 

“You two need to get on the road. Stop by on your way back and take this thing home with you. It’s just collecting dust.”

“He’s right, Cole. We still have a bit of a drive. Maybe we can stay an extra day after the tournament? You can show me the town?” Waverly asked.

“I’d really like that.” She threw her arms around Waverly and picked her up in a giant hug, spinning her around. She was just too excited and needed to get the energy out. “Race you back to the bar?”

“Oh and what do I win when I win?” 

“Hmmm...” Nicole tapped her finger to her bottom lip, her thinking face going. “How bout...” Before she could finish, Waverly took off towards the bar. “Hey! No fair!” Nicole quickly ran after her. Eric watched as the two laughed and played all the way back to the bar and he couldn’t help but smile at the joy the two brought to each other.   
\----------------------------------

Nicole stared out at the crowd as they lined the 1st baseline on Oklahoma’s field. She had dreamt of the day when she would be playing on this field but had you told 16 year old Haught that she wouldn’t be playing FOR Oklahoma but against, she would have called you crazy. Yet, here she was, standing on the visitors’ side of the field, hand over her heart, listening to the national anthem play. She had the biggest smile on her face and her eyes filled with tears. She looked to the crowd and saw her grandparents sitting in the stands. They had made the trip, knowing how much this weekend meant to Nicole and they sure didn’t want to miss it. 

As the song ended, Waverly gently grabbed Nicole’s hand. “Hey, are you ok?”

“Yeah...today is kinda big day for me.”

“Really?” The two started their walk into the dugout. 

“Yes. I always dreamt of playing here. For Oklahoma. It was my dream to be on this field.” Nicole’s expression changed a little with a bit of sadness but then brightened right back up and she took in a deep breath. “I never thought I would be in the visitor’s dugout but I wouldn’t change it, Waves.” She smiled that soft dimpled smile at Waverly. 

“You don’t regret signing with us?”

“Never. If I had, I wouldn’t have met you.” Nicole stated as she slipped down to her knees, grabbing out her Easton Artemis bat, blue, purple and white batting gloves and her dark purple helmet. She pulled on her gloves on, tightening them as tight as she could get them, squeezing her hands into fists to stretch out the gloves a little. “I spent my entire life thinking that Eliza, Kate and Rosita were all I needed.” Nicole glanced up at Waverly. “But I was wrong.” She grabbed her bat and headed to the on deck circle. Nicole watched as the pitcher warmed up. Counting the seconds it took for her to begin her wind up until her release. 2 seconds. Wow. Nicole watched again and again. 2 second. She held up two fingers to Rosita, who nodded. Nicole took a knee, one arm resting on her bent knee, the other coiled around the shaft of her bat. She was watching intently. 

“She do that often?” Wynonna leaned over to Eliza. “The whole, take life too seriously thing?”

Eliza chuckled and nodded. “It’s what makes Nic tick. And today is very important to her. A day she’s waited for since we were little.”

“So, what you’re saying is that beating Okie would be a huge thing for her? Almost like paying her back for her saving my sister?” Wynonna nudged Eliza. 

“Sure. If that’s what you think your sister’s life is worth.” Eliza laughed more. She held up her sunflower seeds to Wynonna. “Want?”

“Hell yeah!” Wynonna shoved a hand full into her mouth and shoved them all into one cheek, pulling one at a time over with her tongue, cracking it, eating it and then spitting the shell out. “Thanks for riding down with me, Liz.”

Eliza smiled. “Thanks for the ride, Earp.” She winked at Wynonna, who leaned over to Eliza’s ear.

“Yeah, thanks for that too.” Waverly just caught the end of what Wynonna said and looked at her with a questioning look. “I’ll explain when you’re older.”

Waverly turned her attention back to batter’s box as Nicole walked up to bat. She had a confidence about her that Waverly loved. “Let’s go 3-3! You got this babe!”

Lucky for Waverly, no one thought it would of the ordinary that Waverly called Nicole ‘babe’ as she did that with everyone once they were on the field. Truth was, Waverly didn’t mean for that to slip. She had avoided calling Nicole pet names out of fear of well, outing herself. 

Nicole shot a dimpled smile to Waverly as she cheered for her. ‘God that woman screaming my name. If only.’ Nicole thought to herself. She shook the thoughts from her head as the ball whizzed by her. 

“Strikkkke!” The umpire yelled. 

“Fuck.” Nicole mumbled to herself.

“Eye on the ball, 3-3!” Waverly yelled again. This time Nicole focused. 

She watched as the ball left the pitches hand. Slow motion, just like every single time she hit a home run. It moved in a forward motion but was also turning counter-clockwise, heading for the outside of the plate. Nicole smiled and swung the bat. The ball sailed through the air, landing just on the other side of the fence. It. Was. Gone. Nicole made her victory trot around the bases and got to the dugout. Everyone high-fived her and smacked her on the butt but one congratulations made her want to do it again. Waverly wrapped her arms around her catcher’s neck and hugged her firmly.

“Way to go, Cole! Amazing hit!”

“Just keep cheering for me, I’ll always hit one.” Nicole softly whispered in Waverly’s ear. Waverly pulled back a little, her mouth an inch from Nicole’s. Her eyes kept dropping to Nicole’s lips, Nicole’s eyes were doing the same to Waverly. Cheers broke them from their moment as Wynonna had just hit a home-run as well. Not wanting Wynonna to feel left out, Waverly gave her same treatment as Nicole. Arms flung around Wynonna’s neck and she kissed her cheek. Nicole couldn’t help but feel a little jealous. She missed the contact between herself and Waverly. 

“Haughtshot, looks like you’re not the only one who can hit home runs round these parts.”

“Whatchya at now, Wyn?”

“15 on the season! How bout you?”

“25.”

“Show off.”

“Step up, Earp.” Nicole shoulder blocked her friend with a laugh. Wynonna shoved her. 

“Ass.” Wynonna glared at Nicole with a stern face. 

“You like it and you know it.” Nicole said as she bent down to pick up her gear and wiggled her ass at Wynonna. Wynonna laughed and threw her glove, hitting Nicole square in the butt. Both girls laugh and Wynonna jumps up to help put on her gear as Waverly grabbed her bat and headed on deck. Gus had moved her up to batting 8th in the lineup. There were two outs. 

Waverly stood in the batter’s box, CRACK! The ball curved inside and smacked Waverly in the head. She hit the ground, holding her head, shaking her head as she tried to shake the cobwebs loose. Before she could think, Nicole was at her side. “Waves? Shit, Waves, are you ok?”

“Yeah..yeah, I’m good. Fuck that smarts.” Waverly said with tears in her eyes. She felt fine but had a small ringing in the ear that it had hit. 

“Can you stand?”

“Yeah.”

“Blue, pitch hitter, please? We need to make sure our pitcher doesn’t have a concussion.” Gus asked the Umpire for a sub. He nodded. “Eliza. Get in there.”

Eliza was starting the game on the bench as Gus wanted to save her for the next three games of the tournament. Eliza put on a helmet, grabbed her bat and ran to the plate. She now had Waverly’s count. 2 balls and 1 strike but she didn’t need it. As soon as the ball was pitched, Eliza connected. Hitting the hardest line drive she had ever hit, right back at their pitcher. She was on first before anyone could even realize their pitcher was down, bleeding from her forehead. Eliza stood on 1st, a serious look on her face. She adjusted the tightness on the straps of her batting gloves as the other team helped their pitcher off the field, a replacement starting to warm up. Shorty pulled Eliza off to the side, “You did that on purpose, didn’t you? I know you are like Nicole. You control where that ball goes.”

Eliza didn’t look at her coach, she just shrugged. “Guess it’s a pitcher for a pitcher, huh?” She mumbled. Wynonna looked up from Waverly upon hearing it and smiled.

After their final out, Waverly stood up and Nicole looked her over one more time. “You sure you’re ok to go out?”

“Nicole, I swear to god, if you ask me that one more time...”

“Ok, ok. I just wanted to make sure you were ok.”

“Let’s go.” Waverly jogged out on the field and Nicole squatted behind the plate. Waverly started to warm up and Nicole noticed how hard her throws here. 

“Nice, Waves! Keep it up!” Nicole’s encouragement made Waverly throw even harder. “That’s my girl! Great job!”

As the batters came and went, Waverly was throwing a perfect game again. They were up 8 to 0. Her and Nicole sat at the far end of the bench as they always did, zoning out the game and focusing on the batters to come. “She’s the one that likes the high ones but can’t hit em, right?”

“Good job, Waves. Soon, you won’t even need me.”

Waverly just smiled a lopsided smile. “I’ll always need you, Cole.”

Nicole breath hitched in her chest. “Uh...yeah so uh...”

“High riser for this one. I’ll swing it inside then back outside on the outside low corner, yeah?”

“Sounds like a plan.” Nicole and Waverly looked up as Gus yelled to Waverly. 

“Let’s go! You’re on deck!” 

Nicole handed Waverly her helmet. “Go get em.” Waverly smiled, pulled her helmet on and headed out of the dugout. Nicole, Wynonna, Eliza, Kate and Chrissy all got up on the fence as Waverly got up to bat. They were cheering so loud for their pitcher that the dugout was shaking. 

Stephanie just rolled her eyes. “Did you talk to your sister?”

“Yeah, she’s playing shortstop right now. If Waverly even makes it on base, she’ll regret it.” Ashton whispered to Stephanie. Rosita glanced their way, having heard the conversation. Her eyes narrowed at them and she slid down the bench, wrapping her arm around Ashton’s shoulders. 

“If anything happens to Waverly, I will be making both of your lives a living hell, got it?” Rosita said firmly with a whisper. “Fucking. Try. Me.” With that, Rosita slid back to her spot on the bench. 

Nicole watched as Waverly laid down the perfect bunt. Arms pumping, she managed to beat out the throw to 1st. The dugout celebrated, high-fives and cheers all around. 

Waverly eyed Curtis, who gave her the steal sign. Waverly placed her foot on the side the base, arms back behind her, ready to go. She watched the pitcher, timing it perfectly, Waverly took off, sliding head first into 2nd, the ball just late. The short-stop jumped up and came down, landing directly on Waverly’s right wrist. She screamed out in pain. As Nicole and Wynonna ran to Waverly, the benches cleared behind them, punches being throw. Stephanie and Ashton pretended to fight with the other team but Rosita knew better. Pushing Stephanie and Ashton into the middle of the group, Rosita swung, connecting with Ashton’s face. Eliza saw and pulled Rosita out of the pile before she got in trouble. Nicole and Wynonna helped Waverly to the dugout. Her wrist was already swelling. Possibly broken. As Nicole made her way back into the dugout, she looked at Gus.

“It was fucking targeting, Gus! She fucking did that shit on purpose! It’s the fucking World Series Gus and they are fucking targeting!” Nicole knelt down in front of Waverly as the team doctor looked over her wrist, she shook her head no to Gus and Gus nodded, grabbing her line up. The umpire warned both teams. Neither team losing a player for the fight. 

“Stephanie, Ashton, you’re in. Nicole, you’re moving to first. Eliza, you’re in at 2nd. Chrissy, you’re on 3rd. Kate, you’re in the dugout.” 

Nicole threw her gear on the ground. Eliza was on base for Waverly and she looked right at the short-stop, knowing full well what she had done. 

As the teams switched, Nicole headed to first. She had more fire in her then she had ever felt before. She watched the batter’s warmups, watching where her hands were on the bat. Nicole motioned to Rosita that it would be coming her way. Rosita nodded, fully prepared. Chrissy took two steps towards shortstop. Stephanie pitched the ball and with a crack of the bat, the ball was hit towards Rosita. She jumped as high as she could, stretching as much as possible, the ball managing to snag in her glove at it’s highest point. Rosita landed back on her feet, throwing the ball around the bases as Chrissy smacked her butt. “One down! Two to go! Good throws!” Nicole yelled out, not even giving Ashton the time to lead the team. This wasn’t Stephanie and Ashton’s team, it was her and Waverly’s and she would be damned if she would allow them to take it.

Nicole motioned for the bunt as this specific batter had been trying to pull off a bunt all game. As the ball left Stephanie’s hand, both Chrissy and Nicole crashed the plate. Nicole’s call was correct and the ball was popped up. Chrissy laid out, the ball landing perfectly in her glove as she hit the dirt hard. She popped to her feet and lobbed the ball back to Stephanie before running back to third, receiving her own smack on the butt and a wink from Rosita. “Great catch, babe.”

“Thanks, sexy.”

“Two down! One to go! Outfield, get ready!” Nicole’s voice commanded the team’s attention, just the way she liked it. 

This batter, Shae Pressman, was known for home-runs. It was one thing Nicole admired about her. She had a great swing. Nicole got down and ready. She knew Shae would be able to hit Stephanie easy and boy did she ever. She connected with the first pitch and it sailed into deep centerfield. Nicole watched as Wynonna ran as fast as she could, jumping. She hit the wall hard, landing on the ground and didn’t move. Finally, Wynonna held up her glove, the ball securely inside. They had won their first of three games. Nicole jumped up and down before heading into the dugout to check on Waverly. 

“Waves? You ok?”

“We’re going to run her to the hospital, Nic.” Grandma Ester walked into the dugout and placed a hand on her shoulder. 

“Then I’m going with you.” Nicole demanded.

“No you’re not. You’re staying with your team.” Gus’ voice came from behind Nicole. “We’re all worried about her, Nicole but I need your eyes on the games to follow. We need to know what to expect for tomorrow’s games.”

Nicole sighed and nodded. “Can I at least walk them out?”

“Yes.”

As Nicole, Eliza, Rosita, Kate, Wynonna, Rachel, Chrissy and Waverly headed out of the dugout, they were approached by a bunch of scouts wearing Team USA polos. “Excuse us? Ladies? May we speak with you all?”

“Yes, sir. What can we do for you?” Nicole spoke for the group.

“We saw how hard you played today. Miss Earp, we’re sorry about your injury and hope that you are ok.”

“I’m fine. Just a little sore. I’ll be right as rain tomorrow.” Waverly said while putting on her best smile. 

“Can’t wait to see you pitch again.” A lady spoke. “Which is why we are here. What you 8 have done for this organization in one year has been extremely impressive. Wynonna, you’re bat is the best I have ever seen it. Nicole, you are just an all around strong player. One of the best. And Waverly, you’re pitching is like nothing we have ever seen.”

“Thank you.”

“The reason we are here right now is because we want to offer all eight of you spots to try out with the USA National team next Spring. Tryouts will be held in Arizona during what looks to be your school’s spring break. What do you ladies say? Is this something you would interested in?”

All of them nodded, smiles beaming. “Yes Ma’am. I believe that it is.” Wynonna spoke softly. “Thank you so much.”

“Good luck with the rest of your games, we will be watching. And we will see you ladies next year.” The group of scouts headed back to stands while the girls celebrated. 

“What’s all this ruckus?” Ester asked the group of girls as her and Henry approached. 

“We just got asked to tryout for the women’s national team, Grandma!” Eliza stated as she excitingly hugged Henry and Ester. Both were excited for the girls. 

“All of you?”

“All of us!” Rosita said, getting her own hug.

“Well, isn’t that something. Why don’t you take Waverly to the truck, Nicole. We will meet you there in a few minutes. We’re going to go buy these girls some food as celebration.” 

Waverly and Nicoled nodded, heading for the truck. Waverly held her wrist tightly. Even though it was wrapped, it still hurt like hell. “Do...do you think it’s broke, Cole?”

Nicole had an arm around Waverly’s waist, keeping her close to her side. “I don’t think so, but you never know.”

“Do you think it was intentional?” 

“Very much so. The hit to the head then jumping on your wrist. They were out to get you.”

“What if I can’t pitch again?”

“Don’t talk like that. You’ll be fine. I promise.” Nicole got them to the truck and unlocked it. Waverly leaned against the back door of the truck and Nicole stepped into her space, placing an arm against the truck by the side of Waverly’s head. 

“I wish you could come with me.” Waverly gave Nicole puppy dog eyes. 

“I wish I could too. I don’t want to be anywhere but with you.” Nicole leaned in, her lips ghosting Waverly’s. “I was so scared when you got hurt today.”

Waverly placed her hand on Nicole’s chest. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. I was so angry. I haven’t been that angry in a very long time.”

“Why were you scared?” Waverly softly asked. 

Nicole cupped her cheek, gently rubbing her thumb against Waverly’s bottom lip. “I would die if anything happened you, Waves.” Just as she was leaning in, she was interrupted. 

“Whoops. Sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt.” Grandma Ester said, heading to the other side of the truck. Nicole quickly separated from Waverly and nervously opened the door and helped Waverly into the truck. 

“Call me when you know anything, please?”

“Of course. I’ll see you at the party tonight, yeah?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.” Nicole smiled wide and shut the truck door, watching as her grandparents drove off with the woman she almost kissed yet again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: The party, world series tourney part 2.
> 
> I still don't have another recommendation for yall. i mean i do i just havent decided which one yet lol. i'll post three next chapter to make up for it, ok? :)
> 
> Follow me on twitter @theysoundgay as I have started a campaign called Operation Make Earpers Smile. Am currently on day #4 and it's working well. Lots of smiling Earpers 'round these parts! I will also be posting my vlog soon about a Wayhaught painting I am doing in a series I call "Painting with a gay". keep them peepers peeled.


	20. Mistakes were made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole does whatever it takes to get information on who injured Waverly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: i was in the process of posting this at 2 this morning and fell asleep at my computer haha. so, here ya go lol. i do have to get my finals done eventually this week but....possibly not before finishing this fic lol.

Nicole sat patiently on the couch, finger running around the rim on her half-drank beer. It had been a few hours since the game and she hadn’t heard from Waverly since her grandparents had rushed her off to the hospital. Nicole felt the couch sink next to her and she looked up with excitement hoping to find Waverly sitting next to her.

“Hi. What’s got you looking so down?” The woman asked Nicole.

Nicole shook her head and gave a half-hearted smile. “Sorry, I thought you were someone else.”

“Now who would make someone as beautiful as you wait?” The woman’s flirtatous tones were so evident that even Nicole could pick up on them.

“You’re the catcher for Oklahoma, aren’t you?”

“Good eye.” She extended her hand to Nicole. “I’m Shae.”

Nicole smiled and shook it gently. “I’m Nicole.”

“Oh, I know exactly who you are, sweetie. I’ve had my eyes on you for quite some time now.”

“That’s not stalkish at all.” Nicole joked with a nervous laugh.

“Totally stalking you. Can’t help it. When I see something I want, I go for it.”

“Is that right?”

Shae pulled her leg up underneath her and sat facing Nicole, leaning to her ear. “And I always get what I want.” She stroked Nicole’s biceps. 

“Well, Shae, if you get what you want, maybe I should get what I want.” Nicole flirted back the best she could. 

“Oh, what’s that sweetie?”

“Come on, let’s go dance.” Nicole held her hand out to Shae and pulled her onto the dance floor. Nicole could see Wynonna and Eliza staring at her as she started to dance with Shae. Shae’s arm draped around Nicole’s shoulder, her body loosely rubbing up and down against Nicole’s while Nicole’s hand sat on Shae’s hip. Shae started kissing Nicole’s neck. “Can you answer a couple things for me though?”

“Of course, what is it?”

“Were your players targeting my pitcher today?”

“Sweetie, that pitch that hit her wasn’t on purpose. Simply an accident. I had called an inside fastball, it just got away from her.” Nicole sighed in disappointment but before she could say anything, Shae continued. “But, what Amy did, that was on purpose. Coach chewed her out for it. I heard some rumors.”

Shae started to grind on Nicole. “Mmm, what were those rumors, baby?” Nicole pulled Shae closer as she whispered in her ear. 

“Mmm, you can keep calling me baby as much as you want.”

“I will if you tell me those rumors.”

“Oh yeah...hmm...I heard that Amy was asked to injure that pitcher. Her sister is on your team, ya know...”

“Let me guess, Ashton?”

“Mmm hmmm.” Shae went back to kissing Nicole’s neck, slipping her hand inside Nicole’s unbuttoned flannel. As the confirmation came out of Shae’s mouth, Nicole stopped dancing, her facial expression going stone cold. 

“I’m sorry. I have to go.” Nicole said as she started to excuse herself. Nicole unbuttoned the sleeves on her pink,black and white flannel and started rolling them up, just above her elbow. 

“Wait, can’t I get your number? Maybe we can continue this later?”

“I’m real sorry, Shae. I’m in love with that pitcher.” Nicole smiled as she saw Waverly walk through the front door, arm wrapped up. “Excuse me.” Before she could be with Waverly, she knew she had to take care of something and she stormed off.   
\------------------------- 

Eliza caught Nicole rolling up her sleeves and knew what was coming. “I have to go, Wyn.” Eliza quickly stole a kiss.

“What is it?”

“Nicole just found out why Rosita punched Ashton.”

“Why was that?”

“Can’t tell you. You’ll....shit. Grab your sister will ya.” Eliza pointed at Waverly and ran after Nicole.  
\-------------------------- 

Nicole had Stephanie pinned against the wall, her forearm pressed into the wall, her face as close as she could get it to her. Her other arm had Ashton by the throat, holding her against the wall.

“If this is about what I called you, I didn’t mean it.” Stephanie coward, becoming a shell of her former self.

“Yes you did. You’re a homophobic cunt, both of you are and you can say whatever you want to me, I don’t care but we both know that’s not why I’m here.”

“Is...is...this about the game?” Ashton asked.

“You bet your fucking ass this is about the game! You could have ended her career with that cheap shot! Are you that fucking jealous of her that you had to try and hurt her? You wanna go for someone, come for me because I promise you both, if I hear that either of you targeted Waverly again, so help me, I will end you both.” Nicole said between gritted teeth. 

“We...we didn’t do anything.”

“Your broken nose says otherwise.” Nicole let go of Ashton and flicked her in the nose. Ashton doubled over in pain, gripping her nose. Nicole turned her attention back to Stephanie. “Don’t act like you don’t know what Amy did to her. Don’t act like you two don’t know what happened. I know damn well you two were the ones that put this plan in motion. As confirmed by one of Amy’s teammates. This is your one and only warning...stay away from Waverly. If you even look in her direction, I don’t care what it costs me, your careers will be finished. Got it?”

“You know, it’s really quite cute how you’re sticking up for her like this because let’s be honest, no one actually cares about that girl or her murderer sister.” Nicole’s fists clinched, her jaw grinding as her anger started to take over. Nicole pulled back to punch Stephanie in the face but Eliza was pulling her off, Wynonna and Waverly standing directly behind her. Waverly placed a hand on Nicole’s shoulder, pulling her away. “Awe, the little bitch came to save you. What a good little bi...” Before Stephanie could finish, Nicole hand was swinging in her direction but instead of connecting with her, Nicole’s fist went through the drywall inches from Stephanie’s face, shooting drywall dust out everywhere. Nicole aggressively pulled her fist from the wall, shaking it out. 

“Next one will be in your fucking jaw. Fucking try me, Stephanie! Mother. Fucking. Try. Me!” This time it was Wynonna grabbing Nicole off, dragging her away. Waverly looked extremely confused but Eliza shot Stephanie and Ashton a quick warning. 

“You may want to clean that dust off your face. Looks like you’ve been snorting coke again.” Eliza said with a wink as she followed after Nicole, Wynonna and Waverly.   
\---------------------------

Waverly watched as Wynonna pulled Nicole into the kitchen, throwing her hand under the running water in the kitchen sink. “Haughtshit, what the hell were you thinking?”

“Those bitches are the ones who put the hit out on your sister during that game! They hurt her on purpose!”

“Is that why you were dancing all hot and heavy with their catcher a minute ago?”

“Duh. You didn’t actually think I was enjoying that, did you?” Nicole’s face was one of disgust. 

“Sure looked like it to me.” Wynonna said with a shrug. “Looked like she wanted in your pants, badly.”

“Oh, she very much did.”

Waverly could feel herself growing overly jealous of the contact that Shae had, had with Nicole. Something Waverly had seen when she had first walked into the house. “I literally seduced her to get her to tell me what she knew about them targeting Waverly. And she sang like a canary.” Nicole said with a sly laugh. One that reminded Waverly of Nicole’s uncle Eric.

“What’d she say?” Eliza asked as she grabbed a napkin and started to gently clean Nicole’s hand. 

“She told me that there were rumors. Rumors that Ashton and Stephanie had asked Amy, Ashton’s sister to injure Waverly if she made it on base. Seems pretty legit seeing as Ashton has a broken nose. I wonder how that happened.” Nicole glanced over her shoulder to Rosita, who was now standing with the group.

“Who? Little ol’ me? I couldn’t hurt a fly.” Rosita grinned and gave her best southern accent. 

“Baby, did you really hit Ashton?”

“The bitch deserved it! I overheard them talking about hurting Waverly. I warned them that if something happened to her, their asses were mine.” Rosita said with a shrug. “And I’m a woman of my word.” 

Eliza spotted Wynonna storming off and quickly stopped her, pulling her back to the group. “Babe, you gotta calm down.”

“Don’t babe me, those whores injured my baby sister and I’m gonna kill em.” Wynonna grabbed a butcher knife off the counter. Eliza just glared at her and she melted, putting the knife down. “Fine.” She pouted. Elize placed a small kiss on Wynonna’s forehead. 

“Thank you.” Eliza said as she pulled Wynonna off to the side. 

Waverly stepped into Nicole’s personal space, gently taking her hand. Waverly turned on the water and started to wash Nicole’s knuckles, which caused Nicole to flinch. “Ouch...”

“That’s what you get!” Waverly sternly looked at Nicole. “I can’t believe you, Cole.”

Waverly watched as Nicole’s stature shrunk. “I’m sorry.”

“Cole, I can’t believe you would defend me like that.” Waverly tone softened as she placed her hand on Nicole’s cheek. 

“I couldn’t let them get away with hurting you.”

“I know but now look at you. You have some hot chick staring at you.” Waverly nodded towards the door where Shae was staring at Nicole with big bedroom eyes. “What am I ever going to do with you?” She smirked.

“I had to get information out of her somehow.”

“Are you telling me that you didn’t enjoy it?” Waverly grabbed a towel and dried Nicole’s knuckles before putting some ointment and bandaging them up. “She was grinding pretty hard on you.”

“Ya saw that huh?” Nicole’s cheeks started to turn more red than her hair. 

“I saw everything, Cole.” Waverly leaned forward and whispered into Nicole’s ear. “Wish I could have heard what she was saying to you though.”

“Just told me who did it. Thank god cuz I didn’t wanna go any further with her but I should the hell would have to find out who was responsible.”

“Ya sure the hell wouldn’t have! That’s ridiculous, Nicole.”

“Yeah? Well, someone had to figure out the truth! And I sure the hell wasn’t gonna let them get away with!” Nicole’s anger was starting to flair again and she turned away from Waverly, grabbing two shots off the counter and throwing them back. She slammed the glasses to the counter and stormed off. Waverly let out a heavy sigh. 

“Damn it, Cole...” She mumbled to herself before grabbing her own shots. After drinking them just as fast as Nicole did, she went after the fiesty red head. “Cole...come on...” Waverly walked into the backroom, finding Shae all over Nicole once again. Nicole was obviously not interested as every time Shae put her hands on Nicole’s shirt and started unbuttoning the flannel, Nicole would push them away and button her shirt back up. Waverly’s eyes narrowed and she made a beeline for Nicole. As she got to Nicole, she put on her happiest smile and wrapped her arms around Nicole’s neck. “Baby! There you are!” Waverly kissed Nicole’s cheek and then made her way down Nicole’s jaw and onto her neck. “You said you were going to come for me...” Waverly giggled a high pitched cheerleader style giggle. “BACK for me. Silly me.” 

“Sorry, Cutie. I got wrapped up with a friend.” Nicole didn’t know exactly what to think so she went along with it, placing her hands on Waverly’s hips and squeezing, pulling her as close against Nicole’s body as she could possible get her. She moaned a little as Waverly kept kissing her neck and slipped her hand up the back of Waverly’s shirt, resting her hand on Waverly’s lower back, just wanting to feel her skin. Waverly turned around, pretending to have just noticed Shae. 

“Oh my god. I’m so sorry. How terribly rude of me.” Waverly snuggled into Nicole’s side, resting her hand on Nicole’s chest, slowly starting to play with the buttons on the flannel she was wearing. “Where are my manners? Hi, I’m Waverly.” Waverly reached out her one good hand. 

“Shae.” Shae groaned. “I should get going. If you ever wanna talk...” Shae reached over and placed a folded up napkin ever so seductively into Nicole’s shirt pocket. “Give me a call.” She smiled and winked before walking away. 

Nicole smiled and looked down at Waverly who was still curled into her. “You were masterful.” Nicole whispered as they watched Shae walk away. Waverly glanced up at Nicole before grabbing her by the shirt and pulling her down towards her. Before she could latch her lips onto Nicole’s, Nicole stopped her. “This isn’t a good idea, Waves...”

“Huh?” Waverly was shocked at Nicole’s words. She thought for sure that Nicole wanted to kiss more than anything. 

“Waves, we’ve both been drinking. I’m a bit more drunk than you. If we ever do kiss, I...I don’t want it to be like this. I want to know that booze didn’t have anything to do with it.” She rested her forehead against Waverly’s. “Please...please don’t hate me.”

Waverly just smiled and handed Nicole the water bottle she had been carrying around. “I could never hate you for not wanting to take advantage of me when I’ve been drinking.”

“Maybe we could dance a little?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

Nicole lead Waverly back to the dance area. A slow song just starting. “May I?” She held her hand out to Waverly who gladly accepted it. 

“Of course.” 

Nicole twirled Waverly around before pulling her tightly against her, resting her forehead against hers again. “How is your wrist?”

“It’s sprained and really bruised but should be ok in a couple days.”

“Will you be able to pitch tomorrow?”

“I don’t think so.” Waverly was disappointed. It was the World Series and she wouldn’t be able to help the team.

“If it makes you feel any better, Ashton won’t be catching. Rosita broke her nose.” Nicole softly chuckled. 

“You four really do get violent, don’t you?”

“Only when it comes to one of our own.”

“Awe, we’re part of your group now??” Waverly smiled from ear to ear, the edges of her eyelids wrinkling with happiness. 

“Of course. Rosita is like 2.5 seconds away from proposing to Chrissy at this point.” Nicole laughed. “And I don’t know what’s going on with Elize and Wynonna but...”

“You’ve seen it too? The touches? The kisses?”

“Yup!”

“And I’m pretty sure they hooked up.”

Nicole’s eyes went wide. “Really? That’s extremely unlike Eliza. She’s very strict about not sleeping with someone before dating for awhile.”

“And what about you?” Waverly flirted. 

Nicole’s breath hitched and she closed her eyes. “You’re trying to get me in trouble, aren’t you?”

“Always.”

“To answer your question...”

“You don’t have to answer, Cole.”

“I know I don’t but I don’t ever want to hide anything from you. No, I don’t sleep with someone without dating first. I won’t sleep with someone without being in love. Sex is very important to me and I don’t like the idea of having it when not being in love. Not knocking anyone who does, it’s just not for me.”

“It just amazes me that you can have any woman you want. You have so many women chasing after you every game and yet, you won’t even look at them. Why?”

Nicole shrugged gently and a soft expression feel upon her face. “They aren’t the right woman.” She said softly. Waverly stumbled a little and Nicole pulled her tighter against her. “Maybe we should get you home, huh?”

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.”

As they got out to the truck, Nicole noticed Waverly shivering. “Here.” She grabbed her letterman’s jacket from the backseat and wrapped it tightly around Waverly’s shoulders, running her hands up and down her arms to create some friction. “There ya go. Nice and toasty.”

“What about you?”

“I’m plenty hot.” She opened the truck door for Waverly. And then climbed into the driver seat once Waverly was settled. She let out a heavy sigh. 

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know how we’re going to win without you, Waves.”

“They still have you behind the plate. You’ll do amazing. I promise.”  
\---------------------------------- 

It was the bottom of the 5th and Nicole kept going back to Waverly’s words. ‘You’ll do amazing.’ Except she wasn’t. A matter of fact, Nicole was having the worst game of her career. They were down 5-1 with no hope in sight. Nicole sat at the far end of the bench, by herself, fully in her own head. She buried her face in her hands, fighting back tears. 

“Cole...” Waverly softly whispered as she sat down and placed a hand on Nicole’s shoulder. “Talk to me, please?”

“I’ve never played so horrible, Waves. I’m 0-4. And I’ve let two balls get passed and overthrew Chrissy at second. What’s wrong with me?”

“Hey, everyone had bad games. Even you, slugger.” Waverly ran her hand in a gentle circle. “Look, even if we lose, we can still play for the Championship tomorrow. We just have to win an extra game. No problem there.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“You know I’m right, Cole. You’re not letting the team down and you’re not letting me down or yourself. Understand? So don’t even think that way.”

Nicole glanced Waverly’s way and smiled sweetly. “You know me too well now. I don’t like it.”

“Well get use to it because I’m here to call you on your bullshit, babe.”

Wynonna slid down the bench to the two friends and wrapped her arm around Waverly. “You two bonin’ yet?”

“Wynonna!” Waverly snapped at her sister. 

“What? You act like you don’t want in those Haughtpants. Have you seen her ass in softball pants?” Wynonna lifted her hand to be level with her head. “Top shelf man, top shelf.”

Before Waverly could protest, Nicole agreed. “She had a point. My ass does look good in these pants.” Waverly rolled her eyes and walked away from the two. 

“You love her, don’t ya?”

“Shut up, Wyn.” Nicole’s neck and cheeks started to flush with red. 

“Oh my god. You do.” Wynonna whispered towards Nicole. “You are totally in love with her, aren’t you?” Nicole softly nodded. “Tell her dude. Just tell her.”

“It’s not that simple, Wynonna.” Nicole whispered so that Waverly couldn’t hear. 

“Look, take it from me, if you wait too much longer, someone else is going to swoop in and bang her before you do.”

“I don’t want to bang your sister, Wyn. I want to make her happy. I want to be with her but I just don’t know.”

“Well, whatever you’re going to do, quit letting her not being in this game affect you. We need you in that next game. Now, if you’ll excuse me, my girlfriend is up to bat.” Wynonna slapped Nicole on the back and jumped onto the fence to cheer on Eliza. 

Nicole looked around the dugout, taking in the friendships that had bonded. The season was almost over. 2 more games and the year would be done and all Nicole wanted to do was to send Waverly home with her first national championship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok ok ok...look...things are happening. things i cant control. the characters made me do it. just saying.
> 
> next chapter: final 2 games of the world series
> 
> Wayhaught and the gang talk summer plans
> 
> ok, so i promised three recommendations this chapter. buckle up buttercup. here is your "Mandatory Pandemic Reading List" for the week.
> 
> While this one isn't done, it's so good. "Real Christmas" by New54321. It's super cute.
> 
> Again, not done but well written. "Call me friend but keep me closer" by Withat
> 
> I may have already suggested this one, maybe i should start writing these down? anyways doesn't matter i'm suggesting it again lol "Girl in a country song" by Postscript8. 
> 
> do dat twitter thing @theysoundgay and curious cat @thatsoundsgay


	21. World Series Tourney PT. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aftermath of Nicole's drinking  
> Wayhaught time   
> World Series finale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god! finals are done! I have a month off school! wooo! and we are coming to the end of our freshman year of college (not my freshman year of college. i'm an old timer at this school thing haha) :( What does that mean? Well, you'll have to wait and see!

The game had only been over for an hour but Nicole and Waverly sat in her grandfather’s hotel room, Nicole’s shoulders slumped forward, her hands folded in her lap with a look of complete disappointment on her face. 

“What were you thinking last night? The both of you had been drinking, Nicole! And you got behind the wheel of that truck! I have never known you to do something so irresponsible! I’m just happy you came to your senses before you drove and you called us. I just...I can’t believe you would do something like this. You have worked numerous drunk driving cases with me and you still got behind that wheel. You not only put yourself in potential danger but Waverly. And we all know the person who dies in drunk driving cases isn’t usually the person who is driving.”

“I know grandpa.”

“How would you have felt had you killed her last night? Huh?”

Nicole slowly looked up at Waverly, tears filling her eyes. One escaping and slipping down her cheek. “I’m so sorry, Waverly...I would be lost if anything happened to you.” She whispered the last part but Waverly still heard. 

Waverly cupped Nicole’s cheek in her hand and slid her thumb over the wet streak sliding down her cheek. “We were both so stupid, Cole. It wasn’t just your fault.”

“And you, young lady! How would Wynonna feel if you were dead right now?” Henry turned his attention to Waverly.

“Horrible sir...we didn’t think...”

“Exactly, you didn’t think.” Henry let out a loud sigh, his hands on his hips as he paced back and forth. He finally stopped and faced the two girls. “If I ever catch either of you drinking before you are 21, I will pull both of you off that team, do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.” Both girls answered in unison. Tears still streaming down Nicole’s face. 

Henry pulled Nicole from her seat and wrapped his arms tightly around her. “You have no idea how terrified I was when I got to you and found you behind the wheel. Every ounce of my heart shattered thinking that I could have gotten a call to tell me that my granddaughter was dead. I don’t mean to be so hard on you two but this is so unlike you, Nic. Yet at the same time I am extremely proud of you for calling us before you drove away in that truck. At least drunk I can trust you to make semi smart decisions. Please don’t ever scare us like that again.”

“I won’t. I promise.” Nicole sobbed. “I’m so sorry, Grandpa. It scared me once I realized I was sitting behind the wheel. That’s why I called you and grandma. I promise you, it will never happen again.”

“I trust that it won’t.” He kissed Nicole’s forehead. “Now, dry those tears. You have a lot of tape to watch from that game today.” He looked over at Waverly. “Why don’t you take the video and go watch it in your room. I have a feeling you two need some time away.” Nicole just nodded and grabbed the tablet from Henry and headed out the door. “Waverly?”

Waverly turned back towards Henry and Ester. “Don’t let her beat herself up too bad over this. She truly in a good kid but that mistake could have killed both of you last night. We love you both and don’t want anything bad happening to you.”

“Yes, Ma’am. Thank you. Have a good night.” Waverly exited the room, running after Nicole, just catching her as she walked into the hotel room. Nicole fell face-first onto the bed she shared with Waverly, mumbling into the pillows. Waverly sank into the bed next to her, rubbing a hand up and down her back. “Hey, talk to me please, babe?”

“I could have killed us last night.” The tears had yet to stop. 

“But you didn’t.”

“But I could have, Waverly! I fucked up, like usual!” Nicole slipped off the bed and walked into the bathroom, slamming the door. Nicole pulled her shirt off and threw it onto the ground, feeling as if she couldn’t breathe. She placed her hands on the edge of the sink, her tears falling into the sink. Nicole was startled when arms slipped around her and a face pressed between her shoulder blades. She instantly relaxed into Waverly’s touch. “I’m sorry.” She whispered out.

“I’m not mad at you, Cole. And you’re not a fuck up. You called your grandparents last night. You realized what you were doing before you did it. You can’t punish yourself over the ‘what-ifs’ Nicole. I love you. You are my best friend. I trust you with my life.” Waverly pressed herself harder into Nicole’s back. “Come to bed, please? Let’s watch a stupid rom-com and relax?”

Nicole nodded and walked out of the bathroom, not even bothering to put on a shirt. She flopped onto the bed. She was still moping and Waverly sighed. “What?”

“Stop being so mopey!”

“I can’t help it.”

Waverly jumped on the bed, landing slightly on Nicole. Both laughed. “Look here, missy! You are hard on yourself. I get that, but damn it, Nicole! You are one of the greatest people I know on this planet. You are one of the good ones. And I’ll be damned if I’m going to sit here and watch you tear yourself a part. So you decide. You get out of that beautiful mind of yours and focus on the now. On me. Or I walk out that door and go stay with Wynonna.”

“Waverly.”

“Unless that’s your answer, you better not say anything else after that. I’m serious, Nicole. If tough love is what you need, then I’m going to give it to you. I will stand by your side through all of this personal battle, Nicole but the second you stop trying to fight this, is the second I’ll step aside until you decide you need me.”

“I promise I will keep trying to battle these thoughts, Waves. Please, just put on the movie?”

“Ok.” Waverly pulled out her laptop, setting it on the bed between them and pulled up Netflix. “What do you want to watch?”

“I’m good with anything you want, beautiful.” Nicole said with her eyes shut as she stretched out on the bed more. 

Waverly blushed and giggled. She put on “The Prom” and laid down, laying her head on Nicole’s shoulder, cuddling into her side. Nicole’s arm wrapped around Waverly’s shoulders, pulling her in tightly. Waverly draped her arm over Nicole’s stomach and sighed happily. “Cole?”

“Hmm?” Nicole hummed as she watched the movie. 

“I’m really happy we met.”

“I’m really happy we met too. More than you know.” Nicole sighed heavily. “You’re the best thing to ever happen to me, Waves.”

Waverly smiled shyly into Nicole’s side. “Hey Cole?”

“Yeah, Waves?”

“W...will you teach me how to skate?”

Nicole snickered a little. “You really want to learn how to skate?”

“It’s important to you and...and I want to know.”

Nicole laid silent for a moment before speaking again. “Of course I’ll teach you.”

“Really!?” 

“Why wouldn’t I? I think you’ll look really hot on my skateboard.” Nicole didn’t mean to flirt but she just couldn’t help herself. 

“Well, that’s good cuz you always look amazing on it too. Must be the skateboard. Makes anyone look good, huh?”

“Now that may very well be true.” They both laughed. “How do you always do that?”

“Do what?” Waverly leaned her head back so she was looking up towards Nicole’s chin.

“Always know how to make me feel better...”

Waverly smiled and tightened her grip around Nicole’s middle. “It’s what I’m good at.”

“I’m sure you’re good at way more than just that.” There was that flirty tone again. Nicole rolled her eyes at herself. “I really wish you were playing tomorrow.”

“I do too.”

Nicole ran a finger ever so gently in circles on Waverly’s wrist as it rested on Nicole’s stomach. “Does it hurt?”

“Not when you touch it.” Waverly’s voice quivered as she spoke with more softness to her voice than usual. Waverly watched as Nicole traced a heart with her finger, over and over again. “You’re not watching the movie...”

“I have better things to watch.” Nicole said with a smirk.

“You are such a flirt.” Waverly giggled. 

“Can’t help it when the most beautiful woman in the world is laying in my bed with me.”

Waverly rolled her eyes and smiled. “You’re ridiculous. You know that?”

“Eh, I might be but you like it.”

“Hm, you wish.”

Nicole just laughed and snuggled down and closed her eyes, drifting off into a deep sleep.  
\-------------------

Waverly woke to Nicole semi awake, breathing hard, pulling at her shirt like she had done so many times before. Waverly knew what needed to be done to get Nicole out of her nightmare. 

Waverly pulled Nicole’s shirt off and tossed it on the ground.Then she placed her hands on Nicole’s cheeks, pressing their foreheads together. “Cole...wake up.” She rubbed her thumbs over Nicole’s lips. “Come on, baby. You’re safe. I’ve got you.” At Waverly’s touch, Nicole laid back down on the bed, eyes fluttering shut. Waverly laid on her back and Nicole rolled over, cuddling into Waverly. She slipped her arm around Nicole’s back and started to rub her back before drifting off.

When the morning light broke through the window, it’s warmth hitting Waverly’s face, causing the younger woman to stir a little. Something wasn’t right. Not wrong but not right. Waverly looked down and found the reason. Nicole’s hand had found it’s way under Waverly’s shirt and was cupping her left breast. Waverly couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

The chuckle was enough to wake Nicole, who instantly realized where her hand was. She pulled back and sat straight up, realizing she was in her sports bra. “I am so sorry!”

“It’s ok. You didn’t realize you did it...or did you?” Waverly smirked and arched an eyebrow. 

“Oh god no! Never!”

“Oh really?”

“I mean, not never. I would love too....er...fuck.” Nicole ran a hand down her tired face and groaned. “I had another nightmare last night, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, you did.”

“Fuck.”

“You ever gonna tell me what they’re about? I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want but I just...I want to try and understand. Are they from the night I got attacked?”

“No...I mean sometimes but mainly no.” Nicole sighed. “I have these dreams of my dad attacking me.”

“Oh?” Waverly tried to act surprised. Was Nicole starting to remember what happened to her?

“Yeah. He pulled my shirt around my neck and started to choke me with it.” Nicole had a look on her face, a cold stare, tears welling at the edge of her eyes. “He...He then threw me into a wall, bashing my head against the stairs.”

“Is this every dream?”

“Every. Single. Night. For the last two years.”

“Every night?” Waverly placed a hand on Nicole’s thigh, a concerned look on her face. 

“Every night.” Nicole sighed. “They don’t feel like a dream though. It feels like a memory and I...I just don’t know why.”

“Maybe it is? Have you talked to Henry about it?”

“Not yet. Do you think I should? Doesn’t it all sound crazy?”

“Not at all, Cole. I think to ease your mind, you should talk to them.”

“Maybe...” Nicole looked at the time on her phone and slipped out of bed. “I’m gonna shower. Game is in a few hours. I wanna head to the field early.”

“Ok.”

“Do...” Nicole stopped mid sentence and shook her head and then cleared her throat as she headed into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

“Yes, Nicole, I would love to shower with you.” Waverly mumbled as she got out of bed. She grabbed her uniform and stared at it. Even though she couldn’t play, something told her she should still wear it. So she did. As Nicole exited the bathroom, Waverly felt Nicole’s eyes raking over the dark purple uniform as Waverly finished tying her right cleat. 

“Waves, what are you doing?”

“Even if I don’t play, I wanna be in uniform. Damn it, I helped get us here!” Waverly slammed her good hand onto the desk, frustration building within her. She felt Nicole’s hands grip her shoulders, pulling her back against Nicole’s chest. 

“Hey, I understand and I agree.” Nicole calmly whispered into Waverly’s ear. “Your pitching alone got us here.”

“And your bat.” Waverly leaned her head back against Nicole’s shoulder and smiled. 

“Hey, Wyn’s bat has been pretty damn amazing.”

Waverly spun around and gripped onto Nicole’s shoulder with excitement. “Oh my god! Hasn’t it! She’s been so good this season! I’ve never seen her play so well.”

Nicole laughed at Waverly’s excitement. “Come to the field with me?”

Waverly smiled sweetly and nodded, her hair falling into her face. Before she could move it, Nicole’s hand had reached out and softly tucked it behind her right ear. Waverly blushed as Nicole’s finger lingers a little longer than either had realized. “Of course.” As Nicole continued to get ready, there was a knock on the door. Wynonna, Eliza, Rosita, Chrissy and Kate walked in. Waverly plopped down on the end of the bed. “Morning girls!” 

They all sat around the room, Wynonna handing out the donuts and coffee she had bought everyone that morning. “Morning Waves, Haughtshit.”

“Heard y’all got a talkin too by gramps.” Eliza snickered.

“Shut it, Liz.” Nicole growled as she pulled her hair up into a messy bun and slid her Under Armor headband into place around her head. 

“So!” Waverly almost yelled, trying to get attention off of what happened. “What’s everyone’s plans for the summer?”

“Well, you already know I’ll be heading back to Purgatory for the summer, Babygirl. Gonna be working in the bar to earn some extra cash.” Wynonna looked down at her donut and poked it. 

“I’ll be heading back with Nonna. Grandma is getting up there in age, so I’ll be spending the summer with her on the farm.” Chrissy glanced at Rosita, almost with pleading eyes. 

“Well, we all know what the 4 Musketeers will be doing.”

“Awe yes, running into the depths of a fire, just for fun.” Waverly teased. 

“Oh, trust me, sweets, it’s never fun.” Nicole laughed.

“Don’t lie, Nic, you know you love hauling that gear and getting all dirty.” Rosita couldn’t help but join in the laughter of the situation. “But she’s right, we are here for the summer as lackies.”

“Aka the station bitches.” Nicole rolled her eyes at the thought. “Oh the life of being a rookie.”

“You guys are really staying? Nothing big?”

“Not all of us can go off to Egypt, Babygirl.”

“Hey, I think it’s super cool.” Nicole looked in the mirror, catching Waverly’s attention and gave her a slanted smile. 

“It’s just weird that we aren’t going to see each other for a few months.” Chrissy mumbled. “I’ve grown kind of attached to you four.”

“Not to us, but to her.” Eliza joked as she pushed Rosita in her shoulder, knocking off balance. Everyone laughed as Rosita hit the floor. 

Chrissy leaned over and pinned her to the ground, giving her a soft kiss. “Awe don’t be so grumpy. It was funny.”

“You’re lucky I love you.” Rosita grumbled out. Soon the room went silent. Everyone looked at each other while Rosita’s face was one of utter shock. “I...uh...”

“You love me?” Chrissy smiled widely. 

“Y...yes.” Rosita managed to get out. Eliza and Nicole’s jaws were hanging open.

“Did she...” Eliza whispered to Nicole who could only nod. “She’s never...” Nicole nodded again. 

“I love you too, Rose!” Chrissy closed the distance between the two, crashing her lips into Rosita’s. 

“Ok, ok. Not in my fucking room, will ya!” Nicole threw a donut at Rosita, who caught it.

“Haughtpants! No throwing the donuts! They are precious...my precious...” Wynonna held one next to her face, gently stroking it.

“Baby, quit molesting the donuts, please?” Eliza begged her girlfriend. Kate rolled her eyes at all the couples in the room.

“Thank god you two aren’t in a relationship.” Kate nudged her head between Waverly and Nicole.

“Are you sure we aren’t?”

“Mmm hmmm...like that straight girl would ever date the lesbian. That only happens in movies, Nicole.”

Waverly just shrugged, grabbed her coffee, gear bag and walked out the door, giving Nicole a wink. 

“What. Just. Happened?” Wynonna looked towards Nicole. “Did you turn my baby sister gay?!?

“Your sister isn’t gay and if she was, I didn’t have a damn things to do with it.” Nicole quickly said as she grabbed her gear bag and followed Waverly.   
\-------------------------

The day had gone rough for the Wildcats so far. They barely won their elimination game against LSU, winning 5-4 with a walk-off triple by Mercedes. They were now facing Oklahoma in the championship game of the softball World Series. And they were losing 3-1 in the top of the 4th. Nicole was calling a great game but Stephanie was having control issues, something that lost her the starting job in the first place. 

Wavery paced back and forth as she watched Stephanie give up another hit. She had enough. She stormed up to Gus. “Put me in, Gus.” Gus went to say something but Waverly interjected before she could. “Gus, I’m our best shot at winning this game. Put me in the God damn game.” Waverly demanded. 

Gus looked down at Waverly’s wrist. “You could do real damage...”

“I don’t give a fuck about next year, Gus. I care about this year. This may be our only shot at this championship. Please...put me in!”

“Go warm-up. If I see you struggling, the answer is no. You have until we go back out there to prove to me that you want this, girl.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” 

Gus looked to her bench. “Ashton, give your gear to Rachel. Rachel, warm her up.”

“Yes, Coach.” Rachel grabbed the catching gear, suiting up. 

As the team jogged back into the dugout, none realizing that Waverly and Rachel were off to the side of the dugout, warming up. Nicole quickly pulled off her gear as she was on deck behind Wynonna. 

Gus stood off to the side, watching Waverly pitch. Even though she was obviously in pain, her pitches were spot on. Gus didn’t have a choice. She had to put Waverly in. It would be three innings. She had faith that Waverly could do it. 

The team cheered as Wynonna hit a stand-up double. Nicole got up to bat and looked to the dugout, spotting Waverly warming up. With attention on Waverly, she didn’t even notice the ball fly past her. “Strike!”

“Shit.” Nicole mumbled. She glanced once more time at Waverly, smiling as she saw her pitches landing. “Alright, Waves.” She felt something bubble within her and turned her attention to the pitcher. Letting another ball fly by, Nicole had the pitches timed. Shifting her weight to her back foot, Nicole pushed the bat through the ball, popping her hips and extending her arms in a perfect swing, connecting, sending it deep into centerfield. She dropped the bat and took off to 1st as fast as she could. Wynonna watched as the centerfielder tried to make a diving play on the ball but missed. The ball rolled deeper into center. Seeing the miss, Wynonna took off, easily scoring from 2nd. Nicole pumped her arms hard, hitting the 2nd base bag and ignoring Shortys’ sign to stop there. She dug in deeper, running as hard as she could and dove head first into 3rd, just beating out the throw. She called for time and jumped to her feet, dusting off the crushed red clay that made up the field. Waverly was jumping up and down, cheering as she had made her way back into the dugout just in time to see the hit. Nicole put her finger on her nose with a big smile and pointed at Waverly who did the gesture back. It had become their way of acknowledging each other on the field and off. 

Nicole watched the pitcher, watching her wind up. “Don’t even think about it, girl!” Shorty muttered towards Nicole but Nicole just smiled. Nicole motioned to Rosita who nodded. As the ball was caught by Shae, Nicole took off running for home. Shae quickly blocked the plate, holding the ball out, ready for a collision. Instead, Nicole somersaulted over Shae, landing on the other side of the plate. She scrambled back and quickly tagged home plate. The umpire threw her arms out to each side.

“Safe!” 

Rosita pulled Nicole to her feet, smacking her butt as Nicole headed into the dugout where she received high-fives. The game was now tied 3-3.She looked at Gus with a sly smile and Gus rolled her eyes. “Do that again and you’ll be benched.”

“Got it, Coach.” Nicole chuckled as she started to get her gear on. Waverly leaned down and started to help. “You pitching?”

“Couldn’t let you have all the run out there, slugger.” Waverly winked as she pulled the straps of Nicole’s shin guard around and hooking them on the other side, criss-crossing her straps just how she liked them. 

Nicole helped Waverly up and looked at the bruised wrist in front of her. “Are you sure this a good idea?” Nicole whispered. 

Waverly’s eyes rolled at the question. “Nicole, if I didn’t think I could do it, I wouldn’t. Ok?”

“Ok. I just...I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Too late.”

The third out came pretty quickly. Stephanie went to head on the field and Gus held her off. “Blue, time. Pitching change.”

“Are you fucking kidding me! You’re putting her in? She’s got a broken wrist for fuck sake!” Stephanie yelled.

Nicole pushed passed her and head onto the field as Waverly shoulder checked her on her way on to the field. “Just bruised, bitch.” Waverly stepped onto the mound and looked at Nicole with a smile. She touched her nose and pointed at Nicole who did the same. Nicole watched as Waverly took a deep breath and threw her warm up pitches. Nicole could see it was hurting her to throw certain pitches. Mainly her fast ball as it took the most push. Nicole nodded to herself, knowing for Waverly’s sake she should avoid using the fast ball as much as possible. The first batter was Shae. Not the best choice for a tester but here they were. Nicole called for a riseball, outside corner. Waverly nodded, winding up and pushing off the mound, releasing the ball. 

“Strike!” The umpire called from behind Nicole. Nicole was pumped. It was as if a new life had been breathed into her. And she knew it had everything to do with the woman on the mound. Nicole called for a change up to the inside corner. As the ball was released, Shae connected but the ball popped up. Nicole jumped to her feet, waving her arms out, calling everyone off. 

“Mine!” She easily caught the ball and tossed it back to Waverly.

“Out!” The ump confirmed. 

Nicole held her mask just above her face as she yelled out to her team. “One down Cats! Two to go! On your toes!” She pulled the face mask down and squatted behind the plate. Next up was Amy, Ashton’s sister. It took everything in Nicole not to call for an inside curveball to take her out at the knee but striking her out was much more satisfying and that is what happened. 3 pitches, 3 strikes. Nicole threw the ball back to Waverly, holding her mask up again. “Two down! One to go! On the ready, ladies!”

The next batter connected on the first pitch, sending it hard back at Waverly. She hit the ground, landing squarely on her wrist. Nicole took off running to the mound and Waverly held up her glove, showing that she caught the ball. Nicole shook her head with a bright smile and pulled Waverly to her feet. “I’m good, Cole. Promise.” She said as she dropped the ball onto the pitcher’s mound as the team ran into the dugout, switching sides.   
\---------------------

It was the bottom of the 7th, the morale of the team was completely different. They were pumped. Nicole was pumped. She was standing on the bench and was making as much noise as she could. “Let’s go, 1-3! Let’s go, bay-be!” She was shaking the fence and stomping her feet on the bench. It was infectious. They were down 6-3, Oklahoma having scored on two team errors but they weren’t out of it just yet. 

Wynonna was on deck, yelling towards her girlfriend. “You got this, 1-3! Eye on that ball!” Eliza got on base with a single. 

Rosita, Kate, Rachel, Mercedes and Waverly took Nicole’s place on the bench and were loud. Louder than Nicole had ever heard them cheering before. Wynonna got a single. Eliza was now in scoring position and Nicole was up to bat. The first pitch came and Nicole hit a soft ball just over the 2nd baseman’s glove. Getting Wynonna to 2nd and Eliza to 3rd while she stood on 1st. 

Waverly looked to Gus as she called her over. “You have to bat, girl. I don’t have a choice here.”

Waverly looked at her wrist and then back to Gus. “Won’t be a problem, Coach.”

“Good. You’re up after Rachel.”

Waverly nodded and grabbed her gloves and slide her helmet on. She made eye contact with Nicole and pointed down to Amethyst, Nicole’s bat. Nicole nodded in agreement. They watched as Mercedes and Rachel both struck out. Nicole called time and all three baserunners and both coaches met with Waverly. “You got this, Waves. Focus. Yeah? Show em what I’ve been teaching ya.” Nicole patted the top of Waverly’s purple helmet. “Watch that inside curve, ok?”

Waverly nodded and headed up to bat while everyone else went back to where they previously were. Waverly took a couple practice swings but couldn’t get her weight fully behind as her wrist was killing her, tears welling in her eyes from the pain. She shook her head violently, as if trying to shake the pain away. She watched the ball leave the pitcher’s hand, inside curveball. Waverly smirked and swung with everything she had. The pain reverberated through her arm as the bat made contact with the ball, pushing it into deep left-center. Eliza and Wynonna scored with no issue. Nicole was fast but Waverly was faster and was right on her heals. The ball was thrown in to each cut off as Nicole and Waverly rounded 3rd, heading for home. The ball got to home plate at the same time as Nicole slid in, just missing being tagged. Shae jumped towards Waverly, trying to take her next but Waverly dove head first under the tag. “Safe!” The umpired yelled. Both Nicole and Waverly didn’t have time to think before the team was on top of them in a giant dog pile. As they all stood up, Nicole leaned close to Waverly about to kiss her when a giant wave of ice cold red Gatorade washed over them. 

Nicole laughed and ran a hand through her hair, pushing the red liquid from it. She stopped laughing when she noticed the tears in Waverly’s eyes, she was clutching her wrist. Nicole grabbed Waverly and pulled her to the dugout, away from everyone else. She was met by Gus who looked down at her wrist as well. It was swelling, more damage having been done. 

“Jesus, Waverly. We need to get you to the hospital.” Gus insisted. 

“No! Not before we celebrate with the team on the field, Gus. We just won the World Series! Just ice it for now. It’s not going anywhere.” Waverly tried to joke to lighten the mood. 

Before she could even ask, Nicole was running from the dugout to the snack bar. “Can I get an ice pack, please?” The guy behind the counter nodded and tossed one to her. Nicole broke it, mixing the contents inside as she ran back to Waverly. She used the ace bandage she always kept in her gear bag and wrapped her wrist in the tan fabric before wrapping the ice pack on top of it. 

“Always taking care of me.” Waverly smiled. 

“I’ll always take care of you, Waves.” Nicole held her hand out to Waverly. “Come on. Let’s go celebrate, slugger.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Nicole spends some time Uncle eric only to get some unexpected visitors. Waverly has surgery on her wrist and spends some quality time with Chrissy. 
> 
> Next up on your Mandatory Pandemic reading list: I think this is one I may have already suggested. Don't care. "Real Christmas" by New54321. It's been updated this week and is almost done but it's a great read and makes me want to write a Christmas break chapter in our Sophomore installment.


	22. The truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole finds out the truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eh, I know I said this chapter would consist of Waverly having her surgery but I decided that this chapter needed to be just Nicole's so Waverly's surgery gets pushed back to the next chapter.

Waverly had flown home with the team at the insistence of her doctor as she was going to need a small surgery on her wrist to correct a bone spur that had accorded during the game which meant that Nicole was left to drive the 12 hours back to campus by herself but not before she stopped off to see her favorite uncle and to pick up her motorcycle. 

“Uncle, where are you hiding?” Nicole called out as she entered the bar. She was completely decked out in World Series Champions gear from her hat to her shirt.

Eric came from behind the bar, wrapping his niece in a big bear hug. “Congratulations, Nimwae! You guys played amazing in that game. And that girlfriend of yours, coming in with that injured wrist and playing the way she did. I’ll be damned if she isn’t the sassiest woman I’ve ever seen.”

“Unc, she’s not my girlfriend.” Nicole blushed heavily and looked down to try and hid it. 

Her uncle nudged her towards the bar. “Let me tell you a story.”

“I’m too old for stories.” 

“You’ll like this one. I promise.” He hand her a soda before leaning his elbows on the bar. “Did you know that the Gods created humans to have two heads, four arms and four legs. One day, Zeus became upset because he feared that humans would rise up against him so he shot down lightning bolts and split humans in two. Condemning them to spend the rest of their lives wandering this Earth looking for their other half. Their soul mates.”

“That’s a nice story but why tell me?”

“Nimwae, it’s very rare for us to find our soul mates. And I can see how that girl looks at you.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about...”

“Damn it, Nicole! Open your fucking eyes! That girl loves you with every ounce of her soul and I wish you would stop being so self-destructi....” Before Eric could finish his sentence, the doors to the bar were pushed open, Henry and Ester walking in. Nicole looked like a deer in the headlights.

“Shit.” She whispered and looked away.

“Nicole Rayleigh Haught, what in the hell are you doing here?” Henry’s voice boomed through the bar. 

“Dad, it’s no...”

Henry put up his hand to Eric, wanting only to hear from Nicole. “I’m asking her a question.”

“He’s my uncle, Grandpa.”

“He’s no better than your mother and your father!”

“He might have been but he’s changed, Grandma. He’s a really good man.” Nicole defended her uncle. 

“This man is not a good man! The things he has sai...”

“Stop!” Nicole yelled. “Stop fighting with each other! Why can’t you two trust me enough when I say he’s changed?!?”

“I...”

“No! I’m an adult and I can make my own decisions when it comes to what family I do and do not see. And I choose to see uncle Eric and I really wish you guys would too. Please? Just give him a chance? Spend the evening with us. Get to know your son again. Please?” Nicole looked away with tears in her eyes. “I...I don’t have much family left...please?”

Henry huffed but nodded. He looked to Eric. “I’ll give you a chance because this girl asked but just know, if you do anything to hurt her again, I will handle this much differently then just cutting you out of the family.”

“I understand, sir. That’s all I ask.” Eric motioned for his parents to have a seat at the bar. “Can I get you all something?”

“Yes. A beer please.”

“Yes, sir. Mom?”

“Just a club soda, dear.”

Eric nodded and walked away to get the drinks. Nicole looked at her grandparents. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you guys I was coming to see Eric. I’ve been in contact with him for the last few months. I just wanted to know his side of the story. He’s understanding. He’s so loving and all he wants to do is spend time with me. With us.”

“I’m sorry that I have such a hard time believing that.”

“What your grandfather means is, he’s very protective over you and doesn’t want to see you get hurt again.”

“I know and I promise I’m being careful about this but I really do believe he’s changed. You should hear how he speaks of Waverly. I’m pretty sure he likes her more than me.” Nicole’s laughter was light and playful.

“She’s right. I do like that girlfriend of hers more than her.” Eric winked as he set the drinks down in front of his parents. 

“Since I have all of you together, can I ask you guys something?” Nicole ran the tip of her finger around the rim of her glass. 

“Of course you can, sweetie. What is it?” Ester placed a soft hand on her granddaughter’s shoulder. 

“I...I’ve been having nightmares every night for the last couple years.”

“What about?”

“Dad trying to kill me...” Nicole looked up to see the shock on all of their faces and knew the answer to the question she was about to ask. “So it’s true? It’s a memory not a dream?”

Eric went to say something but Henry shushed him. “No! I will not! She needs to know what happened, dad. It’s not right that we hide this anymore.”

“Hide what?”

Henry took a deep breath and his shoulders sunk. “There’s a reason your grandma and I have kept your parents away from you. When you were 12, your father tried to kill you, Nicole. He beat you within an inch of your life and I beat him within an inch of his when I found out. That’s when I took you. Seeing what he had done to you..” Henry got choked up. “Seeing how...how he had almost killed his own daughter...I knew I had to keep you safe.” Nicole didn’t respond other than wrapping her arms around her grandpa and pulling him into a strong hug. 

“We almost lost you 4 times in that first three days in the hospital but you were a fighter. Our little warrior.”

“Is that why you call me your warrior?” Nicole had tears streaming down her cheeks as she looked at her grandma.

“Yes, dear. You fought so hard to stay alive and we knew if you lived, we needed to give you a life that you deserved.”

“Why did you hide it from me?”

“We didn’t want it to mess you up.” Eric softly spoke from behind the bar. “We wanted you to live free of worry of your family coming after you.”

“So you weren’t going to tell me?”

“No. We weren’t.” Henry stated.

Nicole sighed. “Do you mind if I take the bike for a drive?”

Eric looked to Henry and Ester who both nodded. He handed her keys. “Be careful please?”

“I will. I just...I need to clear my head.”

“We understand.”

“Please don’t kill each other please?” Nicole asked as she headed out the backdoor to the barn. She pulled opened the big heavy doors and pulling the protective tarp off the top of the motorcycle. She carefully ran her hand down the gas tank and took in a deep breath. “Just you and me tonight.” Nicole opened the saddlebag and pulled out of the matching helmet and tugged it down over her face. She secured her phone in place on the holder and turned on bluetooth, connecting it to her helmet. As she drove, she decided she wouldn’t be heading back to Eric’s. Instead she would be driving back to her apartment. Six more hours. On her motorcycle, she could make it in four. She video called Waverly through Facebook. 

“Hello?” The angelic voice played through her helmet and Nicole felt herself mellow down a little. 

“W...waves?” Nicole tried to hold back her tears.

“Cole?! Where are you? Are you driving your motorcycle?”

“Mmm hhmmm.”

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s all true, Waves. Every single bit of my nightmares. He tried to kill me.”

“What?”

“My father. He tried to kill me when I was 12.”

“How did you find out?”

“I did what you said and I asked Uncle Eric, Grandma and Grandpa.”

“Where are you now?”

“Driving to you.”

“Nicole, you are 6 hours away!”

“I can’t go back to there. I can’t...I can’t see them right now. I just...please?”

“Cole....what if I come to you?”

“You...you can’t drive with your wris...”

“Stop! I’m driving to you. I’ll meet you half way, ok?”

“O...ok.”

Nicole listened as Waverly ran from her bedroom. “Nonna! I need you to drive me to Nicole! Now!” The smaller woman ordered.

“What’s wrong with Haught?” Eliza could be heard.

“Come on. I’ll explain in the car.” Nicole watched as the entire group of friends headed out to Waverly’s jeep, piling in as much as they could. “We’re coming to you, Cole. See you soon, ok?”

“Mmm hmmm.”  
\----------------------------

Nicole did what Waverly had said. She drove half way home, pulling over at an old motel that sat off the lone exit in the small town she had been passing through. Amd just like she promised, they were all there, waiting for Nicole. Eliza, Kate, Rosita, Chrissy, and Wynonna sat along the wall while Waverly was standing, her leg propped up against the wall and something in her arms. She handed the item to Wynonna and pushed off the wall, making her way to Nicole. Before Nicole could say anything, Waverly wrapped her arms around Nicole’s middle, pulling her tightly against her. “Hey slugger.”

“Hi.” Nicole hugged Waverly back and then looked towards their friends. “I see you brought backup?”

“I didn’t need backup, but I figured you could use all the love you could get...”

“You guessed right.”

“I booked us three rooms.” Waverly still hadn’t let go of Nicole. 

“Random question. When is your surgery?”

“In two days.”

“And what are they fixing again?” Nicole kept am arm around Waverly as they started the walk into the hotel. She looked to the group. “Thanks for coming...”

“Miss another day of school?” Wynonna smiled big. “I’m for it.” She patted Nicole on the shoulder. “You good Haught sauce?”

“I’m not.” Nicole looked down at Waverly and smiled. “But I will be.”

Waverly reached back and grabbed the item from Wynonna. “I got you a present.”

“What? You didn’t have to do that, Waves.”

“It’s a thank you for being my rock out on the field. For being my partner in crime and my best friend.” Waverly handed over wrapped present.

Nicole knew it was a skateboard. At least the weight and shape matched. “I’ll unwrap it once we get to our room.”

“Look, it’s super late. Why don’t all of us get some sleep and in the morning we will all sit down and talk about what’s going on. Give you some time to process, Nic.” Eliza hugged her sister from behind. “We love you, Nic. Please don’t forget it.”

“Never, Liz. Never.”

The friends went their separate ways, each heading off to their respective rooms. Wynonna and Eliza decided it best to get their own room, Kate was by herself, Chrissy and Rosita in the third room and then Waverly and Nicole in their own room. Nicole sat on the end of the bed, staring down at the present in her hands. “You gonna open it or just stare at it?” Waverly’s words broke Nicole’s train of thought. 

“Oh...uh...yeah.” Nicole giggled. She pulled back the blue wrapping paper to reveal the exact Pride skateboard that she had broke the first time she had met Waverly. “H...how did you ever find a replica?”

“It’s not a replica...”

“What?”

“It’s your skateboard. I found a company that could repair it. Do...do you like it?”

“I love it, Waves. I love it so much!” She put the skateboard down, jumped to her feet, picking Waverly up in a tight hug, spinning her around and kissing her cheek as Waverly’s arms wrapped around Nicole’s neck as she squealed with happiness. “You’re so fucking amazing. I can’t even express how much you mean to me and how much this means to me.” Nicole finally set Waverly back down but kept her hands on Waverly’s hips to keep her close. Waverly kept her arms wrapped around Nicole’s neck, softly rubbing the nape of her neck, massaging just past her hairline. Waverly pressed her forehead against Nicole’s. Nicole melted at the touch, her heart pounding so loud she was sure that Waverly could hear it. 

“You wanna tell me what happened tonight?”

Nicole nuzzled her cheek against Waverly’s and sighed. “Not tonight, please?”

Waverly nodded in agreement. “Ok. Then what would you like to do?”

“Talk?”

“That’s what we’re doing silly.” Waverly’s fingers moved up and down Nicole’s neck softly, causing Nicole to moan a little. A smile formed across Waverly’s lips. “You like that?”

“Mmm hmmm..” Nicole nodded as she kept her eyes closed. 

“Come on. I’ll give you a massage.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“Your muscles are so tight, Cole. Come on. Let’s relax you a little and we can talk.”

“Ok...”

Waverly stepped away from Nicole and tugged on her shirt. “That’s gonna have to come off.” Waverly said with a wink as she turned away from Nicole. “All of it.”

Nicole cleared her throat and nodded. She pulled off her shirt and sports bra, laying face down on the bed. Waverly straddled Nicole’s butt and squeezed some lotion she had pulled out of her bag into her hand before she started to gently massage it into Nicole’s back. Nicole took in a deep breath. “Mmmm. Smells like you.”

“Is that good or bad?”

“Definitely good. You always smell so good.”

Waverly leaned down to Nicole’s ear and softly whispered. “How do you want it? Deep?” Waverly popped the P. Nicole’s breath hitched and she knew Waverly was smirking. “Or slow and soft?”

Waverly’s words sent chills down Nicole’s spine and caused a fire within her. “Fuck, Waves.” Nicole softly breathed out. “However you want.” She growled. 

“Hm...good to know” Waverly’s voice sounded extremely seductive. 

“Are you excited about Egypt?” Nicole changed the subject, trying to keep a level head. 

Waverly continued to work on Nicole’s shoulders. “I am but I’m not.”

“Why not?! It’s been your dream to go to Egypt.”

“I know but...” Waverly’s words trailed off.

“But what, Waves?”

“I’m going to miss you.” She said without hesitation.

“Reallly?” Nicole’s voice was filled with surprise. 

“Don’t act too surprised, Cole. Of course I’m going to miss you. I know we started out rough but I can’t imagine my life without you now.”

“It’s only a couple of months, Waves. Will you be home at all during those two months?”

“Yes. At the half way point, we get to come home for a week break.”

“Maybe I can drive up to Purgatory and see you and Nonna?”

“That’s a really long drive, Nicole.”

“I don’t mind.” Nicole paused before continuing. “Plus, I’m going to miss you too.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Forgetting she was topless, Nicole rolled over under Waverly. “You’ve become one of my best friends, Waves...fuck.” Nicole quickly covered herself as she realized Waverly was staring. “Sorry.” 

It was worth it to hear Waverly’s sweet laugh. “It’s ok.” Nicole rolled back over and Waverly started to massage her back again. “You have any other plans than fighting fires?”

“No. Not really. Maybe a camping trip with the girls if we aren’t swamped with fires..”

“Do you guys camp a lot?”

“We do. We love being in nature. Hey! Maybe when you’re home this summer we can all go camping?”

“I’ve never been camping.” Waverly softly confessed.

“Wait, what? Seriously?”

“Daddy took Willa and Nonna all the time but always left me with momma or the Nedleys.”

“Your dad sounds like an asshole...” Nicole shot out before she could stop herself. “Shit, Waves. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“No. It’s ok. You’re right. He was an asshole.” She said with a sad laugh. One that broke Nicole’s heart. 

“Hey. Grab your jacket. We’re going outside.”

“What? Where are we going?” Waverly slid off Nicole’s back as she pulled on her jacket while Nicole pulled on her bra and long sleeve shirt. She grabbed her beanie and skateboard. 

“I’m going to teach you how to skate.”

“Right now?”

“No better time then the present plus once you have surgery on that wrist, we won’t be able to. Tonight’s the night, babe. Come on.” Nicole kicked the end of the board, popping it up into her hand. She held her other hand out to Waverly, “Do you trust me?” 

Waverly took it without hesitation. “With my life, Cole.”

The two headed outside and Nicole sat the skateboard on the ground in front of Waverly. “Ok. Are you ready?” Waverly nodded. “Well, first and foremost, we have to figure out what foot you will lead with.”

“How do we do that?” Nicole could tell Waverly was nervous. She placed a hand on Waverly’s cheek, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. “Don’t be scared. I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.”

Waverly nods nervously. “Let’s do this.”

Nicole removes her hand and looks down at the skateboard. “When you run around the house and slide across the floor in your socks, which foot do you have out in front of you?”

“Uh...my left. Why?”

“That’s the foot you’ll want in front on the skateboard, ok?”

“Ok. And how do I get on said skateboard?”

“Like this.” Nicole gets a running start and jumps slightly, landing with two feet on the board. “Really easy.”

“Uh huh.”

“Come on. Give it a try.” Nicole sets the board a couple feet in front of Waverly. Waverly does what she’s told but the board flips out from under her and she falls. Before she can hit the ground, Nicole’s arms are tightly around her. “I told you I wouldn’t let anything bad happen.”

Waverly shyly looks away with a big smile on her face. She tries again and again and again until finally she’s gliding around the sidewalk on the board. Nicole stops her by placing her hands on Waverly’s hips. Waverly claps her hands excitedly in front of Nicole’s face, a grin that goes from ear to ear. “I did it!”

“Yes you did! I knew you could! I’m so proud of you, Waves!”

“Can I try it again?!”

“Of course. Come on.” Nicole holds her hand out and helps Waverly off the board. Waverly mounts the board four more times, each time Nicole helps her back off the board. 

“I think I’m good for tonight. Can we practice more when we get home?” Waverly’s in Nicole’s personal space, her hands against Nicole’s chest and she’s giving Nicole those big puppy dog eyes that Nicole can never say no to.

“Y...yeah.”

“Thanks, Cole. Tonight was really fun.”

“My pleasure. You’re a natural. Sooner or later you and I will be going for rides all over the place.”

“I can’t wait!” Waverly took Nicole’s hand in hers as they started to walk back to the hotel room.

“Eric told me that my father tried to kill me when I was 12...”

“I know he did. Eric told me on our way down there. Please don’t be mad...”

“Why would I be mad?”

“That I knew and didn’t tell you, but Eric asked me not to tell you. He....he didn’t want you to find out.”

“They told me that too...I’m not mad at them for not telling me and I’m not mad at you for not telling me. Please don’t think I am, ok?” Nicole stopped and pulled Waverly to her, wrapping her in a hug. “I could never be mad at you.”

“You say that now.” Waverly spoke through a heavy laugh. “Just wait til you really get to know me. I’m annoying.”

“You’re not annoying. You could never be annoying.”

“You haven’t lived with me long enough.” She laughed some more but Nicole just gave her a small smile and kissed her cheek, causing Waverly’s cheeks to flush with red. 

“I stand by my statement.” They started to walk again. “I’m upset that I don’t remember. I’m upset that my father did something like that to me and I don’t remember.”

“From what I understand, he did a number on you, Cole. It doesn’t surprise me that you don’t remember. Between the trauma both physically and mentally, your brain probably shut it out.”

“And only lets me relive it when I’m trying to sleep?” Waverly nodded. “Well, that’s stupid. Brains are stupid.”

Waverly stopped and pulled Nicole back to her, running her fingers through Nicole’s hair. “They’re not stupid. They do what they need to do to protect us. Your brain is beautiful, Nicole. Just like you are.”

“Thank you for coming to be with me tonight. I know you have surgery tomorrow. It means the world to me that you’re here. All of you.” Nicole’s gaze dropped to Waverly’s lips and then back to her eyes as Nicole licked her own bottom lip, trying to get some moisture back to it. 

“You really aren’t the smartest one in your group, are you?” Waverly teased as she eyed Nicole’s lips as well. 

“Definitely not. Probably all the foul balls to the head.” Nicole chuckled at her own joke. 

“Definitely too many foul balls to the head...” Waverly leaned in a little more, her lips ghosting Nicole’s. “I have something I need to tell you, Cole.”

“What’s that..” Nicole could feel Waverly’s words against her lips. She wanted so badly to close the gap but refused to make the first move. This was Waverly’s moment.

“I want you...I mean, I want to stay with you this summer. To train with you for the National team. I don’t want to go to Egypt.”

Nicole stepped back from Waverly, needing to put some distance between them. “Waves, you can’t stay. Egypt is a once in a lifetime experience. I care way too much about you to have you stay. When you get home, you and I will go full training mode and I’ll get you in the best shape of your life...but you can’t give up this opportunity. Not for me, not for anyone.”

Waverly let out a heavy sigh as they reached the door to their room. “I guess it is pretty silly to say no to isn’t it?”

“It would be the dumbest thing you’ve ever done.” Nicole said honestly as she opened the door to their hotel room. “Come on, let’s get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be pretty damn emotional for me.”

“Yeah...but I’ll be there every step of the way.” Waverly gave Nicole’s hand a tight squeeze as she gave her, her game winning smile. 

Nicole knew she had to be honest with her friends about what had happened to her. Hell, she needed to be honest with herself. Her dreams were real and now it was time to face them head on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooof, these two already, amiright? it's coming. i promise.
> 
> Mandatory Pandemic Reading List is Beautiful People by Wayhaughterthanthat. Nice fun read. Check it out!
> 
> OOO! almost forgot to tell you guys. So i make custom pop figures...and well i'm making custom figures for this fic...yup, Firefighter Nicole, Skater Nicole, Catcher Nicole and Pitcher Waverly. I don't know what i'm doing with my life anymore lol. 
> 
> Next chapter: Nicole talks to everyone over breakfast, Waverly surgery and time to say goodbye for the summer.


	23. Summer Break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole tells her friends what happened to her.  
> Waverly had surgery.  
> Nicole is a useless lesbian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys! we're here! the last chapter of freshman year! But I had a quick question, do yall want a summer break installment or do yall just wanna jump straight into Sophomore year? I have both planned in case yall want one or the other. Thanks for reading this story! I can't wait for Sophomore year! Some shit bout to go down!

Nicole sat across from Eliza, Kate, Rosita, Chrissy and Wynonna, who had all crammed together in one side of the booth so that they could see Nicole. Waverly sat shoulder to shoulder with Nicole, knowing she needed the contact to keep mellow. 

“So what’s all this about, Haught potato?” Wynonna questioned while shoving part of a donut into her mouth. “Why did we have to rush out to you last night?”

“Yeah, Nic and where the hell is your truck?” Rosita looked out the window, looking for the big truck.

“And when the hell did you get a motorcycle?” Kate asked. “Which is totally sexy by the way.” Kate gave a seductive wink towards Nicole, which caused both Nicole and Waverly to slightly tense. 

Nicole was starting to get antsy and she hadn’t even talked yet. She wanted to run away again. Hide the feelings that were playing through her head that was until Waverly’s hand slid over and she intertwined her fingers with Nicole’s. Waverly’s touch was almost like a security blanket for Nicole. It calmed her wandering mind and allowed her to focus on what needed to be talked about. Nicole took a deep breath and squeezed Waverly’s hand as a thank you. “First. Grandpa and Grandma have the truck. Second, I got the motorcycle from Uncle Eric.”

“The uncle we’re not allowed to see anymore?” Eliza’s brows came together in confusion. 

“Correct. Waverly and I stopped by to see him on our way to the tournament and he gave me the motorcycle. I stopped by to pick it up on the way home but Pops and grandma caught me.”

“Oh shit.” Rosita’s eyes went wide. 

“He’s your uncle. So fucking what?” Wynonna shrugged.

“Well, that’s where the story gets good.” Kate said as she leaned back a bit.

“How good we talkin?” Wynonna leaned forward, intrigued. 

“Only a couple at this table know the full story of what happened to me as a child. My parents kicked me out at 12 when they thought I was gay. Disowned me. Took me in. Eric was on the homophobic side of this tale for a minute.” Nicole took in a deep breath and slowly let it out as Waverly placed her other hand on Nicole’s thigh, softly rubbing back and forth. “Turns out it was a tale. My whole life as I know it was a lie.”

“What are you talking about, Cole?” Eliza looked from Nicole to the others and then back to Nicole. 

“You remember how we all thought I was in a car accident as a kid? That’s why I spent a couple months in the hospital?”

“Yeah. You were pretty fucked up. I remember coming to see you.” Rosita’s look turned to concern. 

“I was never in a car accident.” Nicole confessed.

“What do you mean? I was there. I saw the aftermath of what you looked like...” Eliza piped in.

“You remember my nightmares? The one where my dad tries to kill me?”

“The one you’ve had for the last few years, where you wake up screaming?” Kate nodded as she remembered the few times she had to help Nicole through one.

“Yes. Those ones. Turned out they aren’t a nightmare but a memory.”

“Haught, what the hell are you saying?” Wynonna clenched her fists and Eliza put an arm around her, pulling her close to her.

“My dad tried to kill me when I was 12 for being gay.”

“What did he do to you?” Wynonna asked through clenched teeth. 

Nicole looked to Waverly, who leaned to Nicole’s ear. “You don’t have to tell us. It’s ok. They’ll understand.”

Nicole shook her head. “I’m not worried about what they’ll think...” Her eyes pleaded with Waverly’s. 

“I’ll never think differently of you, Cole. I’ll still love you and you’ll still be one of my best friends, I promise.”

Nicole nodded slowly and looked back to the group. She ran her finger across the scar on her head. “From what Grandma told me, he threw me against the wall so hard that my head went through the drywall.” Her fingers lingered over her throat. “He strangled me until I blacked out.” She felt the back of her head where a scar ran from top to bottom. “He stomped me in the back of the head until I was bleeding so badly they couldn’t tell where it was coming from.” Nicole touched her shoulder on her right arm. “He broke my humerus bone so bad that it popped out of the skin. Grandpa said I died 3 times in that first couple of days. He didn’t know if I was going to make it. That’s why they call me their little warrior. He said he beat my dad so bad that he almost died himself.”

“Holy. Fucking. Hell.” Chrissy’s mouth hung open. “I can’t...”

“Eric said that he didn’t know the abuse was happening until after. Once he had learned when Cole’s dad had done, he separated himself from the church from good. Said he couldn’t associate with them.”

“And how do you know that?” Wynonna questioned her little sister. 

“Because he told me...”

“This is....”

“A lot?” Nicole interjected. 

“Yeah...” Eliza was visibly upset as was Wynonna. 

“Look, it is for me too. I’m really fucked up over this. I may seem all cool and collected but let me tell you something, I’m freaking the fuck out. I don’t know who I am anymore. Or where I belong...I just...I feel so damn lost...” Nicole softly confessed. “I...I need to go.” She slipped out of the booth, pulled out her wallet and dropped a $100 bill on the table before headed outside. 

“Should we go after her?” Chrissy whispered to Rosita. 

Rosita shook her head and watched her friend with concern. “No.”

“Yes.” Waverly said as she jumped up and ran outside to Nicole. 

Wynonna went to follow but Eliza held her arm. “No. Let Waverly be with her. I think if anyone is going to pull her out of this, it’ll be your sister.”

“And why’s that?” 

“Because Nicole is desperately in love with Waverly. Any fool can see that.”

“That’s funny because Waverly is massively in love with Nicole...” Chrissy finally admitted. 

“So then why aren’t they a couple?” Wynonna looked around at all their friends.

“That would be my fault.” Kate said as she raised her hand. “I unfortunately caused Nic to have some pretty bad trust issues. Enough to where Nicole doesn’t do relationships anymore.”

“Oh boy...”

“Yeahhhhh....you fucked her up pretty good, Katie.” Rosita mumbled. “She’s probably afraid of getting hurt again.”

“Well, we should change that. Those two need to get their shit together.” Wynonna said as she finished her coffee. 

Waverly got to Nicole’s side and gently placed a hand on her arm. “Babe? You ok?”

“Yeah...yeah...I just needed to breath for a second.”

“I undestand. I’ll leave you alone.” Waverly went to walk away but Nicole grabbed her hand and pulled Waverly against her, wrapping her arms tightly around the smaller framed woman. 

“I wish you wouldn’t.” Nicole buried her face into the long wavy locks in front of her, inhaling deeply.

“Ok. I’m right here, Cole.” Waverly looked down at her watch. “Cole...my surgery is in a few hours...”

“Can I drive you? Please?”

“Of course.” 

Nicole reached into the saddle bags and pulled out a helmet that matched hers but was a beautiful purple instead of green. “Eric had this made for you...”

“Are you serious?!? It’s beautiful!” Waverly rolled it around in her hands, admiring the paint job. “How did he get it done so fast?”

“A guy owed him a favor, apparently.” Nicole pushed a button on it. “There. Now we can talk on the ride and you can listen to music with me, if you want.”

“Sounds great, Cole. Let’s go.” Waverly and Nicole waved goodbye to the others and started the 1.5 hour drive back home.

“How long is the surgery?” Nicole asked for the 5th time.

“Cole, I told you. It’s about 2 hours.”

“And you’ll be able to pitch again?”

“Yes. After physical therapy.”

“And you’ll be ok? Like really ok?”

Waverly just smiled and tightened her grip around Nicole’s waist, pressing her helmet into Nicole’s back. “I have you right? You’ll be there?”

“Where you go, I go.” Nicole reached down and gave Waverly’s arm a small squeeze before putting it back on the handle bars. 

“You really mean that, don’t you?”

“I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t, Waves.”

Waverly let out a satisfied sigh. “You really are the best, you know that?”

“You tryin to butter me up? What you playin at?” Nicole teased with a small, sexy laugh. “Are you nervous?”

“A little...”

“Do you want me to stay in the waiting room for you?”

“Would you please?”

“Of course. I’ll go home and get the truck. Grandpa texted me this morning telling me that he and grandma dropped it off at the apartment for me and then I’ll come back and get you. Ok?”

“Thanks, Cole! I feel better knowing you’ll be there.”

“What are your plans for tomorrow?”

“Nothing much. Just going to finish packing my bags for Egypt. I leave in a couple days. Wynonna and I are going to drive back to Purgatory to check on the homestead before I head out.”

“Would you spend tomorrow with me? I mean, just me?”

“I would love to.”  
\-------------------------------

Waverly woke up 6 hours later. Her arm hurt a lot. And she groaned. She was never one to react well to the medications they gave her during surgery. They always made her so groggy and loopy. She tried to lift her head but she couldn’t. It felt like someone had removed her brain and placed Thor’s hammer within her skull. She chuckled a little. “Cole...” She mumbled. 

“Who is Cole?” The nursed asked her. 

“My girlfriend..” Waverly was so out of it, she had no idea what she had just said. “Where is she?”

“Let me go see if I can find her.” The nurse hurried from the room and went out to the waiting room. “Excuse me, is Waverly Earp’s girlfriend out here? I believe she said their name is Cole?”

Nicole was sitting in the back corner of the waiting room with Wynonna when her head peaked up at the sound of Waverly’s name and her own. Wynonna looked at her. “Girlfriend?” Nicole shrugged and got up and went to the nurse. 

“This way please.”

“How did her surgery go?”

“It went well. She had a bit more damage then we had expected.” The nurse pulled back the curtain to reveal a very groggy Waverly laying in a hospital bed. 

“Mmm, Cole...”

Nicole smiled and leaned down, cupping Waverly’s cheek in her hand. “Hi beautiful. How are you feeling?”

“My ar...arm hurts.” she tried to wave her arm at Nicole but Nicole stopped her. 

“It’s ok. Don’t move that thing, ok?”

“You’re so gorgeous, Cole.” Nicole just smiled and Waverly reached up to touch Nicole’s dimple. “You have no idea what that smile does to me...” Before Nicole could respond, Waverly had passed back out. 

Nicole turned to the nurse. “How long before she can go home?”

“She’s free to go anytime as long as you can help her in and out of a car and bed.”

“That won’t be a problem. I carry her all the time.”

“That’s so sweet. She’s really lucky to have you.” The nurse smiled. 

Nicole looked back down at Waverly. “No. I’m the lucky one.”  
\---------------------------

45 minutes later, Nicole was carrying a sleeping Waverly into their apartment. Waverly’s arm was in a sling and her other arm was wrapped around Nicole’s neck with her face buried into her shoulder. Nicole went to lay Waverly down in her own bed but Waverly shook her head. “Can I stay with you, please?”

“Of course babe. Come on.” Nicole scooped her back up and carried her into Nicole’s bedroom, laying her down on Nicole’s usual side of the bed, knowing that Waverly would need easy access to the bathroom. “Here you go, Cutie.”

“Mmm, thank you.” 

“Do you need anything, Waves?”

“Just you.” She patted her hand on the bed next to her. Nicole smiled and slipped out of her jacket, shoes and pants. She cuddled up behind Waverly in just her rainbow boxer-briefs and tank top. Waverly reached back and grabbed Nicole’s arm, pulling it over her own mid-section and scooted closer into Nicole as she drifted back to sleep. “Just you, cole...”

“Shhhhh. I’m right here.” Nicole ran her hand ever so softly through Waverly’s hair, helping to get her to sleep. Soon, Nicole was being taken as well.  
\-------------------------------

Waverly woke the next morning, the medication finally wearing off. She stretched her neck and raised her arms above her head, stretching out fully. Nicole’s hand slid across her exposed abs, causing Waverly to smile. “Good morning.” Her voice was deep with sleep. 

“Morning. How are you feeling?” Nicole’s voice was one of concern. Waverly turned her head and cupped Nicole’s cheek. 

“I’m good...” She could see that Nicole was already dressed. “Where did you go so early?”

“I have to go turn in a paper for Astronomy but I wanted to make sure you were taken care of first. I should only be gone an hour, max. And then I’ll come home and help you pack, ok? Stay in bed until then. I don’t need you passing out without someone being with you.”

“I need food.” Waverly smiled softly. Nicole pointed to the bed stand next to her. There was a vase with beautiful white roses and a teddy bear with his arm bandaged up. Waverly’s heart swelled with joy. Then she saw the McDonalds bag and apple juice with a pill next to it that said “Eat me first, swallow me second and drink me last.” 

“I’ll be back soon.” Nicole gently kissed Waverly’s forehead, her lips lingering longer than she had intended. Nicole slid out of bed and pulled on her beanie. She grabbed her skateboard and backpack. 

“Fuck, you look sexy.” Waverly mumbled.

“What was that?” Nicole turned around to face Waverly.

“I said hope you did well on your paper.”

“Oooh, me too! I really enjoyed that class.” Waverly watched as Nicole left, looking back to the flowers and teddy bear next to her. Nicole had done it yet again.  
\-----------------------

Packing had taken longer than either woman had expected and unfortunately that meant they only had 2 hours to spend together before Waverly, Wynonna and Chrissy were set to leave back to Purgatory. 

The two had managed to make their way on top of the dugout at the softball field. Sitting with their legs dangling off the side of the dugout, Waverly leaned her head against Nicole’s shoulder. “I can’t believe this year went by so fast.”

“I know. And I can’t believe out of everyone on this team that we are both still single.” Nicole said with a big laugh. 

“Right?!”

“It’s probably for the best though. I’m so mentally fucked up right now.” Nicole sighed. “I don’t know if I could be what someone needs.”

“What do you mean?”

“Caring. Loving. Affectionate without being a complete tool.”

“You’re all of those things. You’re worth the wait, it that’s the case.”

“Geez, thanks.”

“No. I didn’t mean the tool part. But you are the most caring, loving and affectionate person that I know, Cole. Any girl would be lucky to have you as their girlfriend. I really wish you would see that.”

“Well, I can honestly say whoever the lucky guy is that gets you, he better treat you right or I’mma kill him.”

“Um....yeah, I think I’m steering away from guys for awhile...”

Nicole laughed. “Yeah, I said the same thing. Never went back.”

“You dated a guy before?”

“Once. When I tried to convince myself I was straight.”

“And?”

“It was the worst 3 weeks of my life.” Nicole laughed more, causing Waverly to laugh with her. “I’m excited for next season. I think we have a really strong team.”

“It’ll be Nonna and Chrissy’s senior years. We’ll lose them.”

“Then, I guess we better make it good for them huh?”

“Did you hear that Ashton and Stephanie are transferring to Oklahoma?” Waverly glanced up to Nicole to see her reaction. One of shock, just as she suspected.

“No shit?”

“Yup. Put in the request and Gus told em in not so many words to kick bricks.”

“Oh my god. Now I am even more excited for next year!” Nicole’s eyes lit up. “Ooo, do you think we could sway any top recruits to come play for us?”

“Mercedes has a sister, Beth. She’s pretty damn good in right field. I think she’s pretty set on joining us now that we won a championship. And there’s that girl, Constance Clootie, out of Texas who is apparently killer with the bat. Might give you a run for your money. How do you feel about our national tryouts?”

“I think we’re all making that team!”

“Yeah?”

“Yup. As soon as the new season starts, it’s time we go full out practice.”

“I’m in.” Waverly smiled excitedly. 

“I knew you would be.” Nicole looked down at her watch and sighed. “You have to leave soon.”

“I don’t want to go. I mean I do but I wish you were coming with me.” 

Nicole stood up and offered a hand to Waverly, pulling her to her feet. They stood on top of the dugout, Nicole closing the gap between them, arms wrapping tightly around Waverly. “I’m going to miss you, Waves.” 

Waverly pulled away a little and leaned in to kiss Nicole and just as her lips were about to touch hers, she heard Wynonna. “Baby girl! Let’s go! Gotta get moving! Put it back in your pants, will ya!”

Nicole laughed softly and shook her head. “Probably for the best. If you kissed me now, I don’t think I’d let you leave.”

Waverly rolled her eyes. “Been trying all season...”

“I know...” Nicole looked down at her lips one more time. “Give me your phone, please?”

“Huh? Uh yeah...” She unlocked her phone and handed it to Nicole, who quickly did something and then handed it back. “What’d you do?”

“Gave you my phone number. Managed to go all season without giving it to you.” Nicole said with a wink. 

“Shit that’s right. You always contacted me through Discord or Facebook.”

“Well, now I expect you to use it. While I might not be ready for a relationship, I really like you, Waverly.”

“I really like you too.”

“Please don’t give up on me just yet...” Nicole voice was full of sadness, feeling as if she had already lost her shot with Waverly. Waverly leaned up and kissed Nicole half on the lips, half on the cheek.

“Never.”

“Don’t make me come down there with the fire hose you two!” Wynonna yelled even louder. “Get your sweet angel ass in the car!”

“You better go.”

“Yeah....” Waverly headed towards the truck, her hand in her back pocket. She spun around and smiled at Nicole, while digging her toe in the dirt. “Cole?”

“Yeah, Waves?”

“Don’t make me wait too long, yeah?” 

“I promise.”

Waverly turned to walk to the truck but stopped one more time. “Cole?”

“Yeah, Waves?” Nicole yelled towards her.

“Call me?”

“Stalk you!” Nicole said with a wink.

“Hey, Cole?”

“Waves, you’re gonna be late!” Nicole giggled at the girl in front of her. 

“I love you!” With that, Waverly was gone. Nicole stood there dumbfounded. ‘She loves me? In which way? As a friend? As more....what the hell just happened?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thanks for reading! Please don't hate me! I love you all, I promise. I just have a really weird way of showing my love. But it's coming! and when it does...oh boy.
> 
> Mandatory Pandemic Reading List: H-ohm for the Holidays by Orange17! Winner winner winner! Get your prize here! No seriously, good read! check it out!
> 
> For all of you who don't mind one that isn't done yet, check out Purgatory's Mrs. Christmas Competition by Bootsncatz. Really fun story if you don't mind Nicole being non-Binary.


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